King Charles delays slavery apology as secret political weapon emerges

A senior royal aide has described King Charles as “a secret weapon” the British government is increasingly deploying to handle politically difficult situations.

The remark came after the monarch completed a diplomatically challenging 10-day tour of the Caribbean from October 27 to November 4.

The tour included a meeting of the Commonwealth of Nations, a 56-member organization that Charles officially heads.

Slavery dominated the trip.

Many Caribbean nations have been pressing Britain to issue a formal apology for the transatlantic slave trade and to pay reparations.

The king did not do either.

In his speeches, he followed British government policy precisely.

He expressed personal sorrow — saying the slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow” — but stopped short of an apology.

Commonwealth leaders broadly welcomed that expression as a positive step forward, according to the aide.

But the trip nearly veered off course.

On the Friday night Charles was landing in Antigua and Barbuda for the final leg, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham published an op-ed in the Guardian stating he was “open” to issuing an apology for slavery.

That marked a change in government policy.

The Palace insists the king was not blindsided.

“We were told in a timely manner by the Prime Minister,” a senior aide said.

“We were told the terms in which he was proposing to write his op-ed and he’s perfectly entitled to do that.”

The aide added that the change did not cause a rift.

“That’s how our democracy functions. If that’s what elected politicians want to do, it’s not for us to get in the way,” the aide said.

The king’s comments on slavery reflect the government’s position, not his personal one, because the issue has caused a sharp political divide in the UK.

Asked whether Charles could ever apologize for slavery, the aide said: “The King is the crown, the crown is the state, the state is run by an elected government, so we have to see how this whole situation plays through.”

That answer leaves the door open — but only after the government decides.

The aide’s description of Charles as a “secret weapon” came in unusually frank remarks to reporters on condition of anonymity.

“It’s a great secret weapon to send the king,” the aide said.

The monarch was “able to reach the parts that, dare I say, politicians probably couldn’t quite have reached,” the aide added.

This is a notable shift for a monarch who is constitutionally required to stay out of politics.

King Charles became king in September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

In recent times, as Britain’s influence over world affairs has diminished, the government has increasingly turned to the monarch to lead diplomatic strategies.

One example: amid tensions with US President Donald Trump, most recently over the Iran war, the government enlisted Charles to help smooth relations.