Prince Charles expresses sorrow over slavery

STORY: "Deep sorrow" is how Britain's Prince Charles expressed his feelings toward slavery in a speech to Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda on Friday (June 24).

Alluding to the slave trade and colonialism, the heir to the British throne acknowledged that the roots of the Commonwealth organization lay in a painful period of history.

"I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact.'''

The Commonwealth, a club of 54 countries that evolved from the British Empire, encompasses about a third of humanity and presents itself as a network of equal partners with shared goals such as democracy, peace and prosperity.

But some memberss have been calling for a reckoning with the colonial past.

"If we are to forge a common future that benefits all our citizens, we too must find new ways to acknowledge our past. Quite simply, this is a conversation whose time has come... To achieve this potential good, however, and to unlock the power of our common future, we must also acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past.''

The Commonwealth has not previously grappled publicly with the legacy of colonialism or slavery.

But some Caribbean ministers have called for it to be discussed, including the issue of reparations, which Charles did not mention.

In his speech, the British royal did acknowledge growing republican sentiment in some of the 15 Commonwealth nations that currently have his mother Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

Barbados ditched the monarchy to become a republic last November.

Other Caribbean nations have signaled that they could soon follow suit, among them Belize, said its Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay.

‘’It’s a matter that I think should be under review. We have all come from a common history in terms of our colonial past. We are now allowing members who were not colonized by the British to become members and therefore the monarch has no relationship to those countries, for example, Togo and Gabon, who will be admitted.’’

Charles was at the summit representing the queen, who has been head of the Commonwealth since her reign began in 1952.

The baton will pass to him, according to a decision by Commonwealth leaders made in 2018 that some Caribbean nations are now contesting.