King to Address Slavery With ‘Sincere Sorrow’ as Apology Row Grows
The King will speak with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” on the transatlantic slave trade when he addresses Commonwealth leaders in Antigua on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace says. The Sunday papers lead on Mr Burnham’s openness to a formal apology, the Express accusing him of letting the King down.
The Palace was told in advance of the prime minister’s article and has made no changes to the speech; a spokesperson said it would “not be appropriate” for the King to address the government’s position. Britain has never formally apologised for slavery or offered reparations, and Mr Burnham has ruled out the latter. The Mail on Sunday calls his intervention “ill-timed”, saying it has triggered fresh calls for billions; the Express urges him to stop “shooting from the hip”. The King has already spoken of the “suffering of the past” in the Bahamas and visited a slave-rebellion site in Guyana. Tuesday’s speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will be read against Downing Street’s new line.