King Charles will address Commonwealth leaders in Antigua on Tuesday and, the Palace says, he will not shy away from "the most shameful aspects of the past". A spokesperson said the speech should be expected to meet that history with "unflinching honesty, sincere sorrow, and respect for the wider discussions" that governments will hold at this summit and after it.
The 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting opens today in St John's and runs until Tuesday 4 November. It is the first under Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey. The theme is Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth. The King speaks at the opening ceremony on 3 November, with Queen Camilla beside him on the visit. He arrived in Antigua on Friday night after Guyana and the Bahamas. Read how the Georgetown stop was received.
What the King will say, and what he will leave alone
The Palace has drawn a line that matters in a realm and in a republic alike. The King will speak as Head of the Commonwealth, an organisation of 56 countries and about 2.7 billion people. "It would not be appropriate for him to address matters of particular policy relating to the UK Government's position," the spokesperson said. A formal apology on behalf of the British state, and any question of money, remain for ministers.
A senior aide said the speech will focus on practical cooperation: climate, trade, youth employment and the investment-ready projects, valued at 34 billion dollars, that 20 developing member countries have put forward. The sorrow is part of the text. The policy is not.
The King has already used the tour to listen. In the Bahamas he spoke of the "great suffering of the past". In Georgetown he visited the site where enslaved people who joined a rebellion were killed. The Palace described that stop as a moment to learn about slavery and resistance. He has spoken of personal sorrow before, in Rwanda in 2022 and in Samoa in 2024. Caribbean governments want the British state to go further than a sovereign's regret.
Burnham's apology, and the line on reparations
On Friday night Andy Burnham wrote that he was open to a formal apology and to talks with countries and campaign groups. He also wrote that financial reparations are the wrong instrument, and that working with the Commonwealth on prosperity is the better one. He has asked Gordon Brown to lead a drive to restructure the debts of the poorest member states, with longer repayment and better rates. Healey repeated the same split on Sunday: an apology can be discussed, a bill for today's taxpayers will not be accepted. Read the Chancellor's interview.
The Palace says it was told of the prime minister's article in good time, and that the King's speech and programme are unchanged. That is the point of the separation. If Burnham moves the government's language, the King does not have to rewrite Tuesday to keep step. If he stays where his predecessors stood, the King can still speak of sorrow without making policy.
CHOGM 2026 at a Glance
- St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, 1 to 4 November. The King's address is on Tuesday 3 November.
- Queen Camilla is with him. The tour has already taken in the Bahamas and Guyana.
- The Palace promises "unflinching honesty" and "sincere sorrow" on the slave trade.
- Burnham is open to a state apology and has ruled out reparations.
- Forums on youth, women, people and business run alongside the leaders' meeting.
Protesters in Nassau held signs demanding payment. Receptionists and campaigners told reporters they wanted an apology in plain words. The King will give them sorrow and a call to joint work. The sentence they have asked London for, spoken by a prime minister on behalf of the state, is Burnham's to decide when he reaches the same island. The Journal will carry Tuesday's speech in full in substance, and the gap between the two voices if there is one.