King Charles III told an assembly of world leaders in Antigua that he feels "sorrow" over the slave trade, The Washington Post reports. The remarks came as the King opened a tour of the Caribbean, during which he also spoke of the suffering of the past, according to the BBC.
The Washington Post's headline places the speech in Antigua and frames the King's language as an expression of sorrow rather than a formal apology. The BBC, reporting on the start of the visit, described the King as acknowledging "suffering of the past."
The tour has unfolded alongside a wider political debate in Britain over how to address slavery's legacy. The BBC reported that the Prime Minister planned a debt reset for Commonwealth nations as talks about a slavery apology began. The Guardian, in a commentary piece, argued that British people cannot be made to pay for the wrongs of slavery while also saying the country must confront its complicated history.
The News International reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected a claim that the government's position on a slavery apology had caused difficulties for King Charles. The reporting summarized here does not include the full text of the King's speech or the specific wording of any government proposal.
What to watch next: whether the King's expression of sorrow is followed by formal apologies or debt arrangements involving Commonwealth members, and how Downing Street frames its position as the tour continues.
