Here are more photos of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Samoa. The only thing keeping this tour from being widely criticized is the fact that most people aren’t even paying attention to Charles and Camilla. There’s been plenty of controversy, some of it even highlighted by the British media and royal rota, but it’s like they can’t even pay people to care either way. Well, let’s see if this gets picked up outside of the royalist press – King Charles made his big speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, his first address as the Head of Commonwealth. He did not apologize for the monarchy’s role in slavery, nor did he directly address the calls for reparations. Instead, he told people to watch their language.
King Charles backed Sir Keir Starmer in effectively ruling out reparations over slavery today, saying: ‘None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.’
The monarch – and new head of the Commonwealth – told its meeting of leaders in Samoa that it was important to understand and acknowledge ‘the most painful aspects of our past’.
In his first speech to the biannual congregation of leaders as the new leader of the ‘family of nations’ following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, Charles said: ‘Since this is the first occasion on which I find myself attending this gathering of our ‘Family of Nations,’ as Head of the Commonwealth, it gives my wife and myself enormous pleasure and pride to be with you for this twenty seventh Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Together, we represent a third of humanity, with all the splendidly diverse complexity that this entails. And yet we know and understand each other, such that we can discuss the most challenging issues with openness and respect.
‘That said, our cohesion requires that we acknowledge where we have come from. I understand, from listening to people across the Commonwealth, how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate.’
He continued: It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history –to guide us to make the right choices in the future. Where inequalities exist, for example, in access to opportunity; to education; to skills training; to employment; to health; and to a planet in whose climate our human race can both survive and thrive, we must find the right ways, and the right language, to address them. As we look around the world and consider its many deeply concerning challenges, let us choose within our Commonwealth family the language of community and respect, and reject the language of division. None of us can change the past. But we can commit, with all our hearts to learning its lessons and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.’
The calls for reparations and the requests for a formal apology for slavery have been happening for years, and I always find it rather audacious for the British government and the British monarch to so consistently try to side-step both. Like, they genuinely think people will be placated with the rhetorical shrug of “None of us can change the past.” In essence, slavery happened and yes, the monarchy amassed a vast and still undisclosed fortune from chattel slavery, violent colonization and the subjugation of millions of people of color for centuries, but let’s turn the page and please don’t say mean words to me.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
He looks more happy and relaxed now that he is somewhere that he can play lord over people of a different skin color than his own from the top of his big pile of wealth that his ancestors built off their backs. Utterly revolting. No wonder Harry and Meghan don’t want him around their children.
I was just on safari in Sri Lanka and three of the people in our group were Australian. They thought the visit from Charles was ridiculous because no one gave a flying eff about the royal family.
Can I just jump in to add that the British Museum has hundreds upon hundreds of unopened crates of artifacts in their basement?
That have never been opened or catalogued or categorized?
The head of the Celtic artifacts department was selling artifacts on eBay. For over a decade.
Yet the British Museum still claims that it holds those works and keeps them safe for countries who aren’t “stable enough” to have their own art, culture and artifacts back yet. While not caring for the artifacts they acquired through looting and theft and allowing them to be sold off by the pallet full.
And any instability is the direct result of British colonialism.
@FriendlyCrow “And any instability is the direct result of British colonialism.” yes, exactly! I saw a comment on twitter or IG last week about how the person used to be very “give it all back” but said they then realized that the British Museum and other places were the best equipped to handle and store and preserve some of these artifacts and that the nations of origin for those artifacts don’t always have the set up to handle/store/display appropriately.
Well…if we take that comment as true…….why not? Whose fault is that?
Don’t get me started about the British Museum protecting artifacts. There’s a whole section on their website about how their ignorance damaged the Parthenon Marbles. It’s really staggering to read. not just ignorance, but also trying to change the color of the marble to match the wallpaper. And then there’s Peter Higgs, the once-curator of the Greek collection, who stole thousands of objects and sold them on eBay. He’d been stealing for 30 years, people reported it, but management didn’t believe them. Now they’re trying to sue him – good luck.
I was in Athens this summer and the Acropolis museum has a big display where they show each section of the Parthenon that they have in order. For the sections that they don’t have, they say where it is. And guess where almost all of them are? The British Museum. It’s crazy now because the museum in Athens has a great place for them to go but no one is returning them.
@SarahMcK – yes, for years the British Museum said they couldn’t return the Marbles because Greece didn’t have an adequate museum. Once the Acropolis museum was built, the excuses changed. Now they say they will send the Marbles back on long-term loan with the signed agreement that they permanently belong to the British Museum. Every Greek politician knows if they agree to this they’ll be hanged by the ankles in Syntagma Square.
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Slavery only ended here in 1865
Is he not even allowed to say slavery are acknowledge it directly? Yeah, the Commonwealth will be dismantled within the next decade.
All words, no action. No one is surprised. If the British government is unwilling to pay reparations, perhaps they can return everything they stole from their commonwealth “friends.”
I was actually noticing the lack of words in his speech. It’s like he can’t even say the word slavery.
People are not asking for King Charles to change the past.
People are asking for King Charles to apologise for slavery and to make reparations
Exactly.
The Crown was involved in, and benefited from, slavery, subjugation, and obviously colonization, which I get the impression the royals have decided is fine because it wasn’t called slavery but obviously the whole “idea” of colonization was integral to the slave trade and what happened to the native people when they were colonized was also incredibly problematic and the effects of it are still felt across the commonwealth to this day.
(holy run on sentence batman, sorry, lol.)
Charles wants to be The Crown; people want to crow about the longevity of the british Crown and the Windsors and Queen Victoria etc. They want people to associate them – Charles and William – with that historical legacy. Well the bad stuff is part of that legacy too and as The Crown, Charles needs to answer for it.
No he can change the past by not treating people of color like shit. He can start by apologizing profusely to Meg! What her really means is he ISNT going to change anything because he is a racist.
Exactly right and he should stop ignoring his two youngest grandchildren
He’s saying what all abusers say, once they can no longer deny: “oh God, you are talking about this again? What happened, happened, get over it! You are too sensitive!”. And they they make a victim of themselves for having to answer for their actions. So, all in line for Chucky. This is disgusting and I hope they will have to stop making their silly tours out of fear of louder and louder protests.
Charles can change the past of his own family and stop rejecting harry and Meghan and the children and give them a place to stay with security
If he wants to talk about the proper use of language then allow me to point out that “my wife and myself” is incorrect. It should have been “my wife and me”.
That error of diction aside, I hasten to add to that no progress will be made in the future until the sins of the past are acknowledged. He knows this well, but is refusing to admit it. Seems as though railing against facts – including what words were said to his son, and by whom – is how he wants to end his days.
You’re right. It’s grammatically incorrect to use ‘myself’. It should be ‘My wife and I’, if subject of the sentence, or like here ‘My wife and me’, if object of the sentence.
However, I very much doubt Chuck writes his speeches.
Omg, what a twit! We understand that you can’t change the past, but the point is you can change the future.
A Nobel Prize was just awarded to a trio of US-based men on the effcts of colonialism and wealth. Spoiler: countries that were colonized did much better before colonization. And colonization helped Europe et al become much wealthier and more powerful.
In the US, this was just published on Congressional wealth being linked to slave-holding ancestors: https://theconversation.com/many-wealthy-members-of-congress-are-descendants-of-rich-slaveholders-new-study-demonstrates-the-enduring-legacy-of-slavery-239077
This dovetails nicely with The Guardian’s in-depth analysis of the Royal Family’s roots in colonialism and slavery! And Charles is absolutely a beneficiary of that past. The fact that he doesn’t want to look backwards is just evil.
The entire African continent still hasn’t recovered from both slavery and colonisation.
Thanks for posting this!
I guess money and redistribution of hoarded wealth isn’t a creative way to address inequality.
You’d think being so forward on the environment he’d at least say they could find ways to address climate issues for nations.
The colonizer costume shows how much apologies and reparation mean to short reign king charles.
@stilldouchessofcambridge I came here to say that very same thing. That Safari shirt is screaming colonist 😂
Okay. Thank you for bringing this up. Do people really still go around wearing these safari outfits? If they do, I guess I don’t know about it but it’s just so….colonial-looking.
I’m reminded of the colonizer costumes the Wales wore whilst standing up being wheeled around in a jeep during the Caribbean flop tour. Such a contemptable thing to do.
Totally. That is what they are specifically cosplaying: low key bring back the vintage idea of traditional colonists of another time. Only Camilla can’t play her full role, as someone said: horses dont wear shoes
@StillDoC: I mean, horses *do* wear shoes, but I think Sea Biscuit’s farrier was asleep on the job in Australia during that last little bit. lol
‘none of us can change the past’.. but it’s okey to pay compensations to british slave Owers and their descendants for the lose of their ‘liberated’ human properties. The british empire in some ways was worse than the nazis. I will say, the nazis learnt from them. Example, the british govt paid settlers to haunt Australian aboriginals as game. Their heads were mounted on top of fire places as trophies. Also, this evil empire alway sent as its colonisation staff, people they knew were sadists and therefore are more than willing to execute evils to the benefit of their govt/royal family.
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No wonder they don’t want to talk about it.
This was definitely picked up by the non-royalist press – CNN, NPR, NBC, AP, Bloomberg.
Yet another missed opportunity.
He can’t get it right even in the simplest, most obvious ways.
“and to finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure.’
Creative ideas??
Ok-being creative here….
*Melt down that gold carriage and piano and use the money for music scholarships ?
*Take all the objects that have been stolen over the years and build a Stolen Artifacts Museum, all profits going back to those countries?
*Take all those massive empty lands the Crown owns and build homes for the homeless?
Just a free creative ways…I’m sure there are a lot more
I love the museum idea. Like a – we will be returning all artifacts to their home countries in 3 years. Until that time, we are having exhibits of stolen art and culture and the way it has effected those who’s cultures were stolen and all money will go towards
1- reparations
2- HIRING PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH AND CATALOGUE AND DOCUMENT THE HUNDREDS OF UNOPENED CRATES IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
AND THEN WORK TO RETURN THEM
Still one of my all-time favourite tweets:
Name something that sounds British but isn’t.
The contents of the British Museum.
Getting your account blocked by the British Museum on Twitter is a badge of honor.
Elmo is removing the block feature soon. That’s gonna be a fun day for the acct manager for the British Museum.
@SarahCS excellent
There already is a Stolen Artifacts museum, it’s called The British Museum.
And please allow me to continue to be pedantic, but both the gold piano and gold carriage are gold leaf, not solid gold. You can’t melt down gold leaf.
“None of us can change the past” at least that has the benefit of being true
Ooops!
“But I will rewrite it as it suits me”
Chuck can’t say anything else, because otherwise he would be asked to GIVE IT BACK!
What is that ridiculous cosplay outfit he’s wearing? As soon as he stepped out in that, everyone knew whatever he said would be useless.
I don’t deny this is an issue that the royal family and UK government need to address, but where is the same institutional anger against the Belgians or the French? Where is the call for reparations against the US government? If we want to make good for the sins of the past let’s all lean in
I think there is institutional anger against those countries. We can think that multiple countries should be held responsible for the horrors and ramifications of slavelry (including the US) while singling out the head of the British commonwealth, which is made up of…..former colonies.
Even in the US the bulk of our history with slavery occurred when were a British colony.
Uh, maybe in the actual slave trade itself, but not in the institution of slavery as a whole. Slave labor farms continued nearly 100 years after the end of the Revolution.
@Chucky: This claim for reparations includes all the countries that colonalised the Caribbean not just the UK. And apparently the Pacific islands are now asking for reparations too.
The British monarchy provides a visible symbol of the slave trade and colonialism which resonates today. Continuing the anachronism is what Charles wants, but he doesn’t want to live with the unpleasant consequences of being reminded where all his wealth and privilege originated.
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Ummmm. Its there. It is usually in French though so perhaps that’s part of why you aren’t seeing it?
What European nations did to the continent of Africa is horrifying and sickening.
For those unaware of the history, I suggest a google of king leopold of Belgium.
Or read the book King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild.
Good suggestions! I just downloaded King Leopold’s Ghost.
There is. And let’s not leave out the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Catholic Church. Oh, and the Germans, can’t forget them.
Shorter Chuckles: “I’m keeping the loot.”
Comment of the day. Thanks for the translation. 👍
This nails it. And I don’t see why it should be for UK taxpayers to pay for reparations when it is known that the RF – monarchs over 300 years – supported and profited hugely from slavery.
The last one involved was William lV who was monarch at the time of (and was opposed to) abolition in 1833. He built Clarence House in the 1820s, ie prior to abolition. CH is the present day residence of Charles & Camilla; so that means their home is directly financed by the proceeds of slavery.
British taxpayers already paid compensation – to slave owners after 1833 (mostly wealthy landowning families whose descendants have benefited to this day) for the loss of their ‘property’ – a vast sum that wasn’t fully paid off until 2015. Nothing to the former slaves needless to say.
So I think Charles has a moral responsibility to set an example to other beneficiaries in paying reparations from his vast personal wealth.
100%
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No body is asking you to change the past. The results of what happened in the past, continues to reverberate today, including the fact you and your family continue to bask in the largess that is the results of slavery. A decent human being would recognize that and be willing, not only to apologize, but also to give up some of the unearned wealth.
If he apologizes, I believe that opens him up to lawsuits or something like that? I forget the “technical” reason he refuses to do what is right and good and necessary.
This is such a sorry excuse. The Dutch King apologized, I am yet to see a lawsuit. However, if lawsuits are valid, why shouldn’t they occur? I don’t think valid lawsuits require an apology. However, Charles needs not wait for lawsuits, he could meet with those who are calling for reparations and come to a settlement. This will forever cover their commonwealth tours, like a giant wet blanket. That’s the least they deserve for the British empires historical atrocities.
If I was my Prime Minister listening to that speech, I’d be pissed off. Charles is behaving like he’s just know learning about slavery and colonialism. We want an apology and an agreement for reparations.
Agreed. Hes all “surprised pikachu face” and then nonsensical platitudes.
We can’t change the past. We are a family. And families always have to forgive eachother FOR EVERYTHING ALWAYS AND FOREVER.
Also – look at how I treat my family to get an idea of how I treat family. If I had my way, you would all need to prepare to be boarded and plundered.
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That’s even lamer than William’s “It should never have happened.” Jesus, these people.
He may not be able to change his family’s and the British empires bloody and horrific past, but this man sits on a vast fortune that was never earned and stolen. That wealth that he and his heir hoard could benefit the descendants and countries that the Royal ancestors pillaged and destroyed. It would seems like the head of a church would want to do the right thing instead of continuing to play Scrooge mcduck with a fortune steeped in the blood of others.
Camilla on that chair… trying so hard not to touch anything… ugh
Does he think any of this nonsense means anything? Fool.
Start giving the stolen artifacts back to their own countries.
Then get ready to spend the next 10 years watching as every country declares themselves free.
William might be doing the ceremonies but, I really think George or Charlotte will be diplomats at best, not working Monarchs.
Charles looks like hes aged 20 years in that photo with the umbrella, he looks very like Phillip at 80.
‘Creative solutions’ means ‘don’t ask me to reach into my own pocket for anything’.
A prerequisite for understanding between perpetrators and victims is that the perpetrators recognise their evil deeds, which presupposes that they are truly aware of the suffering they have caused and show compassion for the ongoing plight of the victims. To do this, the perpetrators need humility and the will to make amends. I can recognise none of this in the attitude of the king and his wife
Ugh. I live in New Zealand and am so glad he was not able to come here. The British came here and stole our land too but there will never be any reparations.
I saw footage from him in Samoa today and noticed Charles was enthusiastically engaging in conversation with others but Camz was busy hiding behind her fan. Guess being the Queen not being all spa trips and horse riding isn’t agreeing with her.
So patronizing. He pretends to misunderstand calls to make amends for enslaving people as calls to change history. So gross.
May the monarchy end with him.