King Charles has finally acknowledged the “wrongs of the past” as he delivered a keynote speech at the Commonwealth Summit on Tuesday.
In an apparent nod to Britain’s role in the slave trade, the King told the world leaders in his opening speech, “We cannot change the actions of those who came before us,” adding: “We can, however, learn from the past.”
Charles, the head of the Commonwealth, stopped short of a full apology amid calls for Britain to apologise and pay reparations.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who last week declared that he is “open” to Britain apologising for its slavery past, was also in attendance.
The King also added in his speech: “None of us, of course, would be here today were it not for our history, which has shaped us in myriad ways. History is not ours to choose or to change. It is bequeathed to us in complex synthesis by forebears we can never know. Our inheritance includes both their achievements and their failures – the good they did as well as the wrongs.”
The monarch continued: “History can be hard to compass, viewed as it is through the prism of time, which can be both clarifying and distorting, and yet its consequences resonate with contemporary force. Our history inspires us, can appall us, yet it can always teach us.
“The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other Members of our Commonwealth. As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow.”
The 77-year-old said: “In fact, in a desperately troubled world, the Commonwealth has welcomed new members who see the unique value of this organisation and have chosen to be part of its future. All around us, trust between nations is under critical strain, as international norms and systems are tested to their limits.
“Brutal conflict stalks our world, destroying lives and casting long shadows across the globe. Technology is transforming our societies and our economies at dizzying speed, with little certainty about where it might lead us.
“As I have consistently tried to emphasise, climate change is no longer just a terrifying prospect, but a catastrophic reality which threatens our very way of life. Nature is under constant attack and critical natural systems are collapsing.”
“The Commonwealth cannot provide all of the solutions. It does, however, offer an unparalleled opportunity to work together – across our societies and our economies, through our businesses, our institutions and our communities.”
He concluded by saying: “Today the leadership of this unique institution is in your hands. Each of you has the opportunity to make the greatest possible difference. I pray that over these coming days you will embrace this opportunity and commit yourselves to action.
“I pray that you will renew your determination to build a Commonwealth in which prosperity and Nature flourish side by side; in which investment builds resilience as well as social and economic capital; and in which trade creates opportunity from which everyone can benefit – especially those people in Member States in most need of those benefits, both economic and environmental.
“Above all, Ladies and Gentlemen, I trust that each of you will recommit yourselves to a Commonwealth in which our young people can look to the future with greater confidence and purpose. So that from this remarkable family of nations, our people can draw inspiration and hope – just as I, myself, have always done.”
“The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other members of our Commonwealth. As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow.”
Charles said the more he had “furthered my own understanding of the issues, through listening, learning and looking.”
Prince William and Harry’s father listed access to education, jobs and opportunities, as well as intra-Commonwealth trade and climate change resilience as ways of helping those “who struggle against hardship and disadvantage”.
“For, as any sailor navigating the seas knows, we cannot command the winds, least of all where the winds of yesterday have delivered us – but we can choose how we set our sail,” Charles said.
