King Charles has not changed his Commonwealth heads of government speech to include a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, GB News understands.
The update came during a breaking report from the Caribbean by GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker on Saturday night. Walker noted that the King is head of the Commonwealth, is not representing the British government at the meeting, is head of state in 15 realms and territories, and heads an institution of 56 countries.
Palace informed of Burnham's comments
Buckingham Palace has said the King and officials were informed in a timely manner about what Andy Burnham was going to say in The Guardian. However, it remains unclear how much consultation took place before King Charles travelled to the Caribbean for his tour.
Walker said the King has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over the last few days, expressing sorrow but not saying sorry. He added that Andy Burnham is expected to start initial talks with Commonwealth leaders about what they think is the best response.
Burnham open to formal apology
The report came hours after Burnham suggested he was open to the possibility of Britain issuing a formal apology. Writing in The Guardian, the prime minister said: "The transatlantic slave trade was a brutal and barbaric violation of those people."
He added: "They were denied their humanity. They were separated from their families, treated as property and worked to their deaths." Burnham said he wanted to express his sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions and to recognise the way it still shapes the world today.
Badenoch criticises Burnham
Following Burnham's comments, Kemi Badenoch publicly criticised the Labour leader on X. The Tory MP said: "Labour are already spending too much on Britain's welfare state; now is not the time for Andy Burnham to be providing global welfare."
Badenoch added: "There is no reason British taxpayers today should be held financially responsible for things that happened generations before any of us were born." She noted that Tony Blair already expressed Britain's deep sorrow and regret for its role in the slave trade nearly twenty years ago, and concluded: "This is all another navel-gazing distraction. The Commonwealth should be looking forward, not endlessly backwards."
