King to address slavery during Commonwealth speech in Antigua on final leg of Caribbean tour

King Charles is expected to address the lasting pain of the transatlantic slave trade on Tuesday, speaking to Commonwealth leaders in Antigua with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow,” Buckingham Palace said. The announcement follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying he was open to the possibility of a formal UK apology for its role in slavery, though he did not offer reparations. The Palace said the King’s speech had not been changed in response to Burnham’s remarks and stressed that decisions on an apology belong to the government. During the tour, Charles has spoken of past suffering in the Bahamas and visited a site in Guyana associated with a slave rebellion.