# King to address slavery in Antigua as PM says he is open to possible UK apology

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/king-to-address-slavery-in-antigua-as-pm-says-he-is-open-to-possible-uk-apology/
- Published: 2026-11-02T02:46:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:52:32+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Politics (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq398y0zj9rpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- King Charles will address slavery’s lasting effects in Antigua.
- Andy Burnham is open to a possible UK apology.
- Antigua and Barbuda is seeking sustained discussion of reparatory justice.

## Summary

King Charles is due to address the transatlantic slave trade and its continuing effects in a speech to Commonwealth leaders in Antigua. Buckingham Palace says he will speak with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow”; the speech comes amid renewed debate over whether the UK should formally apologise or provide reparations.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to the possibility of an apology, while Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne called for serious, sustained engagement on reparatory justice. The UK has never formally apologised or offered reparations, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called discussion of apologies a distraction. The Palace says decisions on government policy belong to ministers, and that the King’s speech was not changed in response to Burnham’s comments.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.