King Charles Calls Transatlantic Slavery a “Terrible Injustice,” Stops Short of Apology

The words were spoken at the opening of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday.

“This shameful chapter in history fills my heart with horror and my soul with the deepest personal sorrow,” the British monarch said during the meeting. Ahead of the trip, Buckingham Palace said that the king would not make a formal apology for slavery.

The statement comes after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened the door to Britain apologizing for its role in the slave trade, which enriched the country for centuries.

The British slave trade was banned in 1833.