A third of Americans think King Charles should apologise for monarchy’s role in slavery

A third of people in the US believe that King Charles should should apologise for the monarchy’s historic role in the slave trade, according to a new survey.

Charles has personally expressed "personal sorrow" for the royal family’s role in slavery in the past.

But neither he nor any other working royal has apologised for the role played by past members of the British monarchy in the slave trade despite pressure from campaigners.

A study conducted by Redfield & Wilton on behalf of Newsweek asked 1,500 adults in the US whether Charles should offer an apology.

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A total of 35 per cent of people surveyed said “yes”, while 27 per cent said “no”. A total of 17 per cent said that they “didn’t know” and a further 22 per cent said they didn’t care.

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Last year, Charles shared his “sorrow” for the suffering caused by slavery – but stopped short of an apology for his family’s historic involvement.

The senior royal spoke at the opening of a Commonwealth summit in Rwanda and said that the potential of the family of the nations for good could not be realised until “we all acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past”.

At the time Charles described how he was on a “personal journey of discovery” and was continuing to “deepen his own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact”.

But there was no apology from the heir to the throne for the royal family’s involvement in the transportation and selling of people for profit.

Meanwhile, the formal coronation ceremony for King Charles will take place on Saturday (6 May).

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