Royal news live: King Charles says painful past still hurts as calls for slavery reparations grow in Samoa

Reparations for the slave trade could be discussed as Commonwealth heads of government convene in Samoa for the leaders’ summit.

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer touched down Samoa overnight on Thursday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm).

The Commonwealth leaders are expected to agree plans to discuss reparations as they look at an agreement which could open up the conversation through a communique, the BBC reported.

It comes despite Downing Street previously claiming the issue would not be on the agenda.

Mr Starmer said ahead of travelling to the Pacific island: "On the question of which way we're facing I think we should be facing forward," he told reporters.

“I've talked to a lot of our Commonwealth colleagues in the Commonwealth family and they're facing real challenges on things like climate in the here and now."

While reparations are not formally on the agenda, conversations on the wording for a communique are possible.

Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer, who is attending the summit, has faced pressure from some lawmakers in the governing Labour Party to consider the prospect. But his government says it is not up for discussion.

“Reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,” Sir Starmer’s spokesperson, Dave Pares, said ahead of the summit.

“The government’s position has not changed. We do not pay reparations.”Britain would not be offering an apology for slavery at the summit, Mr Pares said. He also rejected suggestions that the Commonwealth’s importance has diminished.

The summit would “bring together delegations from 56 countries representing a combined market for British business set to be worth $19.5 trillion by 2027,” Mr Pares said.

King Charles is expected to helm a major meeting of leaders from Commonwealth countries in Samoa, including many that once had colonial ties to Britain.

His presence is likely to prompt uneasy questions - as it did in Australia - about the role of the British crown in the histories and aspirations of its former territories.

The Commonwealth is seen by some as a vestige of empire with an uncertain mission in the 21st century, and discussions about colonization among its members have intensified in recent years.

All three candidates to become the organization’s next Secretary-General - from Ghana, Lesotho and Gambia - have urged financial reparations for the past enslavement of colonised people.

The King was dressed Samoan-style for a day of ceremonies welcoming him and the Queen to the island nation for a state visit.

Charles swapped his trademark tailored suit for a short-sleeved white jacket and trousers he designed himself as he was honoured with a new title, sipped a symbolic drink and was presented with a pig for feasting.

Samoa’s head of state and his village afforded the King the highest accolade by staging an ava ceremony where the drink, prepared by the statesman’s daughter from powdered ava root and representing community unity, was presented to Charles.

The ceremony was held at the National University of Samoa, in a falesamoa, a large open-air covered hall made from huge timbers and guarded by a ring of malosi ole nuu, bare-chested orators armed with sticks of their office and wearing sarongs and garlands.

Report:

A growing call for reparations for transatlantic slavery is set to take centre stage at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), with several Caribbean nations and the African Union leading the charge.

Despite this rising movement, British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the UK would not raise the issue of reparations during the summit.

However, he expressed openness to engage in dialogue with leaders who wish to discuss the matter.

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has established a commission aimed at securing reparations from former colonial powers, including the UK, France, and Portugal. Advocates argue that the enduring legacy of slavery has contributed to significant racial inequalities that persist to this day.

Opponents, on the other hand, claim that modern nations should not be held accountable for historical wrongs committed centuries ago.

A source from Caricom highlighted the significance of the summit for raising the issue in an interview with Reuters, noting, “Chogm presents an important opportunity for dialogue on reparations, and the region is keen to table it.”

Kingsley Abbott, director of the University of London’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies, echoed this sentiment, saying, “It is a priority for many of the Commonwealth’s member countries, and whenever those affected by atrocities ask to talk, there should always be a willingness to sit down and listen.”

The history of the transatlantic slave trade remains a deeply painful chapter for millions of descendants across the globe. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken from their homeland, with many enduring the harrowing Middle Passage. Those who survived were subjected to harsh, inhumane conditions, primarily on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, enriching European empires at their expense.