King Charles expresses 'profound sorrow' over slavery during Commonwealth address

By Kimone Witter  

 

 

King Charles III told the heads of 56 Commonwealth countries on Tuesday that he now has a greater understanding of the horrors of slavery, calling it a shameful chapter of history.

 

He said this has made him more determined to address past wrongs, but called for the leaders to look to the future and ensure "evil need not have the last word".

 

In his opening speech, Charles, the head of the Commonwealth told the leaders that, "we cannot change the actions of those who came before us; we can, ​however, learn from the past".

 

"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 forebearers we can never know. Our inheritance includes both their achievements and their failures, the good they did as well as the wrongs. 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," he said.