Sir Idris Elba delivered a cryptic five-word message to King Charles after an unexpected encounter in Antigua ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Tuesday (November 3). The actor said "sorry about the prime minister" after bumping into the King on Monday (November 2).
Unexpected Meeting at Nelson's Dock
King Charles chatted briefly with the Luther star while touring the Georgian era Nelson's Dock, a tourist attraction, where Sir Idris was attending an event. The King had just set an engraved stone into a wall when he was reunited with Sir Idris, a goodwill ambassador for the King's Trust, who was hosting the One Commonwealth Night concert at the Unesco World Heritage Site.
"How are you?" the actor and knife crime campaigner asked as he shook hands with Charles, and they greeted each other like old friends. The King asked "What are you doing here?" and, both laughing, Sir Idris replied: "I get around," affectionately patting the King on the arm. The actor then said: "How are you doing though, are you having a good time? Sorry about the prime minister."
Slavery Apology and Reparations Dominate Summit Agenda
It is not clear whether Sir Idris was referring to Andy Burnham, who has been criticised by opponents claiming he has put the King under pressure by stating his opinion on issuing an apology for slavery. The issue of slavery, an apology from Britain and the payment of reparations is expected to dominate the Commonwealth summit the King will open in the Antiguan capital on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, now in Antigua for the conference, has said he is open to "listening to calls for a formal apology" from those nations affected by the transatlantic slave trade, but has ruled out considering financial reparations. Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne reiterated on Sunday his personal wish for Antigua to become a republic and ditch the British monarchy, and said if there was no compensation for slavery "atrocities" could be repeated.
King and Queen Tour Historic Sites
Charles and Camilla toured the museum at Antigua's Government House, which was once a symbol of British colonial oppression for Antiguans but now seen as a living testament to overcoming the adversity of slavery. The King and Queen also visited Agave Gardens in Antigua and Barbuda.
The King is due to deliver the keynote address opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Tuesday, also attended by Mr Burnham and expected to be dominated by the issue of a slavery apology and reparations.
Prime Minister's Flight Detour
The meeting comes after Downing Street defended the decision for the Prime Minister to be collected in a plane from Manchester shortly after it took off from London. The flight took off from London Stansted at around 6am on Monday (November 2) for Antigua and Barbuda, but the Prime Minister was not on board with UK delegates. Mr Burnham was then collected at Manchester along with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, after the flight's 34-minute journey, according to reports.
Downing Street has declined to say how much it cost for the flight, which was heading for the Commonwealth leaders' summit, to stop in Manchester. Some reports claim the detour would have cost an extra £20,000, but these have not been confirmed. The plane was grounded for around an hour before setting off again via Canada for a refuelling stop.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister's travel arrangements are made on the basis of security, operational requirements, and value for money for the taxpayer. The Prime Minister's travel arrangements reflect where he was carrying out official government business at the end of last week. As you know, he spent the day in Scotland on Friday, returned to Manchester to work from Number 10 North on Friday evening. In terms of costs, travel costs will be published in the usual way."
