King Charles acknowledges ‘painful’ history amid calls for slavery reparations at Commonwealth summit

By Max Foster, Alex Stambaugh and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

(CNN) — Britain’s King Charles III has told world leaders that “none of us can change the past” but that nations can commit to finding “creative ways to right inequalities that endure,” as calls grow for reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade.

The 75-year-old monarch was speaking to leaders and dignitaries from the 56 Commonwealth nations at the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, which is this year being held on the Pacific island nation of Samoa.

He used his first address to the summit since becoming head of the organization to call for unity, asking leaders to “find the right ways, and the right language” to address contemporary problems rooted in the past.

“Our cohesion requires that we acknowledge where we have come from. I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate,” Charles said. “It is vital therefore that we understand our history, to guide us to make the right choices in the future.”

A row over reparations has gained momentum in recent days after renewed calls from some members for Britain to pay compensation for its historical role in slavery. Ahead of the gathering, the BBC reported that diplomats were preparing text for the summit’s official communique that would commit to a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation” on the issue.

Downing Street has insisted that the topic is not on the agenda. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is attending the summit, told the BBC on Thursday that the trade was “abhorrent,” but “that we should be forward looking” and focus on “today’s challenges” such as resilience in the face of the climate crisis and increasing trade between Commonwealth countries.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves ruled out any payments in the future.

“We’re not going to be paying out the reparations that some countries are speaking about,” she told the outlet earlier Thursday. “I understand why they make those demands but that’s not something that this government is doing.”

The King, who did not directly refer to slavery during his address, emphasized that the Commonwealth represents “a third of humanity” and urged leaders to “discuss the most challenging issues with openness and respect.”

“As we look around the world and consider its many deeply concerning challenges, let us choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division,” Charles added.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, is held every two years, and brings together delegations from the 56 member states to work together to try and tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues such as climate change, creating opportunities for young people and fostering inclusive and sustainable prosperity for all.

Some had hoped that Charles would use the speech as an opportunity to apologize for Britain’s colonial past. However, on overseas tours such as these, King Charles is a representative of his government and can only act on the advice of ministers.

While he stopped short of a formal apology and did not directly engage on the subject, his speech seemed to acknowledge concerns raised by some of the leaders.

In recent years, the British monarchy has adopted a more conciliatory tone when addressing the past horrors of transatlantic slavery. In Kenya last November, his first trip to a Commonwealth nation as head of the body, Charles said the “wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.”

At the last Commonwealth leaders’ summit two years ago in Rwanda, Charles, who at the time was stepping in for Queen Elizabeth II, said the Commonwealth needed to “find new ways to acknowledge our past” and that “this is a conversation whose time has come.”

The theme of this year’s event in Samoa was “One Resilient Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth.” During his address on Friday, the King also spoke sympathetically to member nations on the challenges of climate change, a crisis that has exposed deep global inequality.

“We are well past believing it is a problem for the future, since it is already, already undermining the development gains we have long fought for,” Charles said.

He added, “This year alone, we have seen terrifying storms in the Caribbean, devastating flooding in East Africa and catastrophic wildfires in Canada. Lives, livelihoods and human rights are at risk across the Commonwealth.”

The Commonwealth includes several island states facing the existential threat of sea level rise.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Angela Dewan contributed to this report.