King Charles acknowledged Britain’s “painful” past at the Commonwealth Summit
On Friday, King Charles spoke at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, delivering one of the most important speeches of his reign to date.
Charles, who succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the Commonwealth, addressed Commonwealth leaders, foreign ministers and dignitaries in the first CHOGM His first visit as king follows a successful trip to Australia in recent days.
After attending the official opening ceremony with Queen Camila, Charles gave a speech addressing some of the key issues facing the Commonwealth. In his first speech to the 56-member group, the king said of slavery and Britain’s role in the slave trade, “none of us can change the past” but leaders can learn from history and find “creative ways to address enduring inequities.”
As calls grew for Britain to compensate the families of those affected by the transatlantic slave trade, Charles used his speech to act as a peacemaker. comments, saying leaders should find “the right ways and the right language” to tackle Britain’s inequality and problems. role in it.
Tensions surrounding the subject have overshadowed recent royal tours, including Prince William And Kate MiddletonCaribbean trip. However, while King Charles did not issue a formal apology, he acknowledged the pain of the past and the need to move forward, telling Commonwealth Heads of Government: “Our togetherness requires us to acknowledge where we come from. I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to echo. Therefore, it is important that we understand our history to guide us in making the right choices in the future.”
According to the Congressional Heritage Collection, from the 1500s, Great Britain benefited from the slave trade and transported more than 3 million enslaved Africans to the Caribbean and North America. While Britain abolished slavery in the Commonwealth in the 19th century, some Commonwealth leaders called for financial compensation from the United Kingdom for its role in the slave trade. These compensation payments could run into trillions of pounds.
King Charles did not directly mention slavery in his speech, but said: “Let us choose in our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division”.
