A deeper understanding of slavery's horrors

King Charles III, the head of the Commonwealth, opened the summit of 56 member states in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday by telling leaders he has gained a greater understanding of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, which he called a "shameful chapter of history".

That chapter, he said, fills him "with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow". The trade in enslaved persons, he added, still casts a shadow over the islands and other members of the Commonwealth.

Charles told leaders in his opening speech: "We cannot change the actions of those who came before us ... We can, however, learn from the past". The more he had furthered his own understanding "through listening, learning and looking", the more committed he said he had become to modern partnerships that address past wrongs. His greater understanding, he said, made him more determined to address those wrongs, while urging leaders to look to the future so that "evil need not have the last word".

The apology question lingers

The king's remarks carried no apology. Whether Britain should apologise, or pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, dominated the run-up to the summit.

• •Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to Britain apologising for the transatlantic slave trade.
• •He has gone further than other prime ministers on a possible apology.
• •Officials are in talks with national leaders at the Antigua and Barbuda summit about what form an apology could take.
• •Neither the king nor Britain has so far apologised or discussed paying reparations.

Looking to the future

Charles and Burnham have both spoken of using the Commonwealth to meet modern needs through support on climate change, education and health. Charles listed access to education, jobs and opportunities, intra-Commonwealth trade and climate change resilience as ways of helping those facing hardship.

Burnham, for his part, announced a £40 million ($54 million) investment in critical Caribbean infrastructure over the next three years and said he would like to discuss debt resets for smaller Commonwealth nations.

'We can choose how we set our sail'

Charles closed his address with a sailing metaphor: "we can choose how we set our sail".

The question of an apology remains open. Neither the king nor Britain has so far given one or discussed paying reparations, and officials continue talks with national leaders at the summit in Antigua and Barbuda about what form a possible apology could take.