King Charles tells summit the past can't be changed as leaders ask Britain to reckon with slavery
King Charles III has told a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa that the past could not be changed as he indirectly acknowledged calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — King Charles III told a summit of Commonwealth countries in Samoa on Friday that the past could not be changed as he indirectly acknowledged calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for a reckoning over its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The British monarch told leaders in Apia that he understood “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate." But Charles stopped short of mentioning financial reparations that some leaders at the event have urged, and instead exhorted them to find the “right language” and an understanding of history “to guide us towards making the right choices in future where inequality exists."
“None of us can change the past but we can commit with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right the inequalities that endure," said Charles, who is attending his first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, as Britain's head of state.
His remarks at the summit's opening ceremony were an acknowledgement of the strength of feeling on the issue in countries that Britain once colonized.
