The government has said there will be no apology for Britain’s role in the slave trade across the Atlantic, when King Charles and Sir Keir Starmer visit Samoa for a Commonwealth conference next week.
A Downing Street spokesman had ruled out a financial settlement.
Last year, the King spoke of his “deep sorrow and regret” for his “injustice” during the colonial period during a visit to Kenya, but stopped short of an apology, which would have depended on a ministerial agreement.
The International Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Samoa on the 25th and 26th of October, will bring together the leaders of 56 countries.
Even though the issue of historical links with slavery is being raised at the conference, the UK government has told the BBC that there are no plans for a symbolic apology.
Reparations for slavery had already been rejected, but 10 Downing Street also now says there will be no apology.
Instead the focus will be on current issues, a government spokesman said, such as “the shared challenges and opportunities facing the Commonwealth, including driving our economic growth”.
Speeches from kings are made on the advice of ministers. This means that the King cannot apologize for the UK’s links to slavery unless he gets permission from the government.
Labor MPs including Bell Ribeiro-Addy have called on the UK government to formally apologize for its involvement in the slave trade.
David Lammy, as an MP on the opposition benches in 2018, had spoken about the restoration of those seeking justice after the Windrush scandal.
He tweeted: “As the people of the Caribbean are enslaved, colonized and invited to Britain as citizens we remember our history. We don’t just want an apology, we want reparations and compensation.”
But with Labor now in charge, along with foreign secretary Lammy, Downing Street ruled out a formal apology for slavery and ended speculation of any statement at the Commonwealth meeting in Samoa, which would have been the international forum for such an apology.
It means the unapologetic policy continues under the previous government, when prime minister Rishi Sunak last year rejected the idea and said “trying to record our history is not the right way forward”.
Opponents of the apology have pointed to Britain’s prominent role in ending slavery, including the 1807 Act to Abolish the Slave Trade.
Talks of formal apologies or reparations may still be proposed by other countries, with Caribbean leaders arguing for some financial recognition of the legacy of slavery, with figures quoted at £200bn.
The Commonwealth Conference will also vote for a new secretary-general and all three candidates are supporters of the return of transatlantic slavery.
It is a very divisive issue in the public, including readers of the BBC’s Royal Watch newspaper, who contacted each other via email.
“We who live now should not be made to feel guilty or apologize for something that has nothing to do with us,” said Ruth, from the UK.
“We don’t like what happened, but we weren’t there at the time, so why should we say we’re sorry?”
Ronald, from Bristol in the UK, had the opposite view.
“A sincere apology would acknowledge that grievance and, in my opinion, would reduce the sense of injustice,” he said.
Sarah, from Ghana, said it would be “humane” for Silo to apologise.
“I believe that it will help a lot in healing the wounds caused by the slave trade,” he said.
The King and Queen Camilla arrived in Australia on Friday to begin their six-day visit to the country, which will be followed next week by the Commonwealth conference in Samoa.
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