The King will not be apologising for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade

The King will not be apologizing for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade. So, why are we talking about this now? The question of whether he will or won't has come around as he will be traveling to three Caribbean countries later this month, the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. The royal tour comes at a time when a number

of Caribbean countries have been debating Britain's colonial era and have demanded that financial compensation, known as reparations, are paid. The King has previously expressed his personal sorrow for what he then called the atrocity which forever stains our history, but palace sources insist he will follow government legal advice on this trip, which is not to apologize. In

each of the three countries, the King will not shy away from the wrongs of the past, but it won't involve an apology or money to compensate those countries. That's because the King acts on government advice and the UK government position is clear. It cannot be required to pay compensation for historical acts that were not illegal at the time they

were committed. It is widely recognized that between 12 and 13 million enslaved Africans were forced onto ships during the transatlantic slave trade from 1501 to 1866. Of those, it's estimated that Britain was responsible for a quarter, more than 3 million people. The last time there was a tour in the region by senior

royals was 2022 when Prince William and Kate's trip was heavily criticized for appearing out of step with the public mood and for failing to properly acknowledge the long-lasting impact of slavery. Buckingham Palace insists this tour has been arranged alongside and with respect for the three Caribbean countries and says they also want to