King Charles's Caribbean tour renews calls for a slavery apology

Summary

King Charles is on a Caribbean royal tour through the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. In a Guardian opinion piece, Dutch novelist Raoul de Jong writes that the King will not issue a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, or address his own family's role in it, and will instead express "sorrow". De Jong argues this lets politicians avoid the question, pointing to Kemi Badenoch, who he says called an apology a "navel-gazing distraction", and to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who he says would support an apology while flatly opposing reparations. De Jong urges the King to follow Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who apologised for slavery three years ago.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   2 Nov 2026, 08:00 UTCSource ↗

   Columnist Raoul de Jong writes that King Charles will not issue a formal apology for Britain's role in the slave trade during his Caribbean tour, and urges him to follow Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who apologised for slavery three years ago.