King rules out apology and financial reparations for slavery
King rules out apology and financial reparations for slavery
Cameron Walker Fri, October 2, 2026 at 5:26 PM UTC
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King Charles | Source: GETTY
The King is not expected to offer an official apology or financial reparations to Commonwealth nations for Britain's role in the historic transatlantic slave trade.
The UK Government's position is understood not to have changed ahead of His Majesty's high-profile visit to the Caribbean later this month, including a Realm Visit to the Bahamas, where campaigners have warned him "not to come empty-handed".
King Charles's Autumn tour will also visit Guyana before the Queen joins him in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
A Buckingham Palace spokesman has told GB News that the visit will "not shy away from the darkest days" of the past, and has repeatedly said that His Majesty acts solely on Government advice.
Royal officials also pointed to the King's longstanding expressions of personal sorrow and work to address inequalities.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) source claimed Labour ministers have given no indication they are about to change the longstanding opposition to compensating descendants of enslaved people.
The Government's legal position is that Britain is not required to pay reparations for historical acts, especially when they did not break international law at the time.
Despite describing the transatlantic trade in enslaved people as "abhorrent", Government officials have confirmed ministers have not advised King Charles to offer a formal apology.
Constitutional experts have previously said issuing a formal apology could put the UK Government in legally tricky territory, but an FCDO official declined to comment.
It is understood Buckingham Palace is looking at ways the tour could provide opportunities to renew King Charles's personal commitment to acknowledging historical wrongs and addressing inequalities.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman has told GB News: "His Majesty, of course, always acts on the advice of his Government as part of our constitutional settlement.
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"He has a long history of engaging on this particular issue and all of the things that he has said at CHOGM and elsewhere in the past, about his personal sorrow, about this particular period of our history, are worth repeating.
Andy Burnham | Source: PA
"And it's not just about what His Majesty has said; it's about what he's done: the personal support for Commonwealth education programmes since the last CHOGM, and his support, over many decades, for young people through The King’s Trust.
"This shows that he has always engaged on ways in which the inequalities of the past can be righted. But as far as reparations and apologies go, that is a matter for the Government. And His Majesty always acts on his Government's advice."
Asked for King Charles's views on Caribbean nations cutting ties with the monarchy in favour of a republic, officials repeated that the democratic decision is for individual countries to pursue.
A FCDO spokesman said: "The Government's position on reparations is well established. The Government absolutely acknowledges that the transatlantic trade in enslaved people was abhorrent, and that the impacts of that were horrific and do endure to today.
King Charles | Source: GETTY
"The Government has been clear that it will not pay financial reparations. The Government is committed to continue dialogue with Commonwealth partners, and, indeed, the Prime Minister, at the time, committed to that again at the last CHOGM, to meaningful, truthful, and respectful dialogue, and also, we're committed to working with Commonwealth partners to understand the legacies of the past and to work with them to build modern, forward-looking partnerships that are in all countries’ benefits."
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is expected to prioritise investment, trade, climate resilience, democracy and opportunities for women and young people.
During the separate State Visit to Guyana, the King is expected to highlight opportunities for British businesses with the UK's largest trading partner in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
The Queen, meanwhile, will focus on violence against women and girls, literacy and The Queen's Commonwealth writing competition in Antigua and Barbuda.
The King's schedule is expected to be packed full of engagements as he continues regular cancer treatment; a royal source repeated it was going in a “very positive” direction.
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