Planned Apology by King of England on Slavery
Media is no more about news. It is about narratives. Guardian newspaper of England is presently running a project for media manage the image of King of England. It has called upon King Charles to make a formal apology for transatlantic slavery.
The article in Guardian centers on new research from the book “The Crown’s Silence.” The book shows British monarchs actively participated in the slave trade for centuries. By 1807, the crown was reportedly the largest buyer of enslaved people. Monarchs used this trade to increase revenues and strengthen imperial power. Timing of this article is interesting. It appears that upcoming Commonwealth meeting has necessitated this public relation exercise. Similar article appeared in 2024 too before Commonwealth meeting.
Will the King apologise for:
- Operation Sanskrit Mill for epistemological destruction in India
- Human trafficking of young girls in British Cantonment reported by parliamentary committee as “Queens own daughters” (1899)
- Massacre of unarmed individuals in Jalliawala Bagh, Amritsar, India (1919)
- Genocide of Millions in Bengal due to starvation/famine as food grain diverted as reserve for Army (1943).
British colonial history involves countless atrocities across continents. Slavery in the Caribbean and Americas, famines in India, massacres in Kenya, exploitation in Africa. An exhaustive apology list would be enormous.
The atrocities are so many that the King will end up apologizing daily. This piece in Guardian is a narrative builder because the King has decided to apologize to become relevant in media and when he does, it may appear that he did it under pressure from “the good British people”.
Britons remain proud of the Empire while simultaneously positioning themselves as progressive critics. This allows moral credit without confronting complicity. Its Minister in Liz Truss’s cabinet, Suella Braverman had said that she is proud of ‘Raj’ or the colonial past of England.
Reasons for Media Circus:
All this cast doubt on sincerity of apology. This is a public relation exercise for the King at the time Britain is under severe crises. Let me explain in detail. Britain is geopolitically irrelevant and it is facing structural weaknesses across multiple domains. For example:
Geopolitical Status:
Britain’s geopolitical weight has diminished dramatically since 1945. It’s no longer a superpower. Brexit further weakened its position. The “special relationship” with the US looks increasingly one-sided.
Irrelevance of the Monarchy:
The institution faces real questions about its purpose. What function does a hereditary monarchy serve in the modern world? The pageantry costs money while offering little practical governance.
Financial Troubles:
Britain’s post-Brexit economy struggles. Growth is sluggish. The financial services dominance that replaced manufacturing is under pressure. London’s historical dominance in gold and silver pricing has eroded. China and other Asian markets now play major roles in commodity pricing.
Law and Order Crisis:
The grooming gang scandal represents a massive institutional failure. Police and social services ignored systematic human trafficking in young girls (minor children) for years, often citing fear of appearing racist. Media named the rapists as ‘Grooming Gang’. A name that downplay atrocities. This damaged public trust in both law enforcement and political leadership.
India Trade Deal Collapse:
Recently UK entered into a Free Trade Treaty with India in 2025 after negotiating for decades. Earlier the British PM frequently put his foot in mouth by commenting upon Kashmir in their Parliament. It was politically naive. India has zero tolerance for foreign interference on this issue. Britain needed that trade deal more than India did. This shows diplomatic incompetence over decades.
Military Degradation:
HMS Prince of Wales has had repeated mechanical failures. Having non-functional aircraft carriers is embarrassing for a nation that still sees itself as a naval power. The gap between Britain’s self-image and actual capabilities grows wider.
Royal Family Health Secrecy:
The lack of transparency around King’s daughter in law, Kate Middleton’s illness does fuel speculation. She has not appeared in public since 2024. Whether this reflects medical capability or just archaic royal privacy customs is unclear. Either way, it looks bad.
The Pattern:
Every institution is failing or hollow. Finance, justice, diplomacy, military, even the symbolic monarchy itself. Britain projects power it no longer possesses.
A nation with this many failures has nothing substantial to offer. So it offers apologies instead. Cheap symbolism substitutes for real capability.
A powerless institution seeking relevance through symbolic gestures. The apology creates headlines without requiring material change. It costs nothing and changes nothing.
The Guardian article becomes pre-positioning. Build public pressure, then the King “responds.” This manufactures the appearance of moral leadership while avoiding substantive reparations. Is this view cynical?
Counter-arguments
There are a few counterarguments. Let us consider those too.
Genuine Moral Reckoning
Perhaps Britain’s weakness creates space for honesty rather than just performance. Strong nations rarely apologize because they don’t need to. Weak nations might finally face truth because they have less to lose.
The Generational Shift:
Younger Britons genuinely oppose empire nostalgia. Polling shows declining imperial pride among under-40s. This isn’t elite manipulation but actual cultural change. The apology could reflect real domestic pressure rather than manufactured theater.
Commonwealth Realignment:
Britain might genuinely want to transform Commonwealth relationships from colonial hangover into equal partnerships. An apology could be step one toward renegotiated terms. Caribbean and African nations are demanding reparations. Britain might see acknowledging past wrongs as necessary for future cooperation.
Institutional Learning:
Germany’s post-war reckoning with Holocaust guilt shows apologies can be meaningful. Germany rebuilt credibility through sustained acknowledgment of atrocism. Britain might attempt similar rehabilitation, however belatedly.
The Moral Authority Play:
Paradoxically, admitting past wrongs could rebuild soft power. Nations that acknowledge mistakes gain moral credibility. Britain could position itself as the reformed colonial power, gaining influence through humility rather than force.
Conclusion:
If the apology were genuine moral reckoning, why only slavery? Why now? Why not the systematic starvation in Bengal? Why not Jallianwala Bagh? Why not the “Dogs and Indians Not Allowed” signs under direct Crown authority?
Genuine apologies aren’t scheduled around “upcoming events.” The Commonwealth meeting in Antigua creates pressure specifically on slavery because Caribbean nations are present. This confirms it’s reactive politics, not moral awakening.
If Charles truly wanted to reckon with imperial crimes, he’d address the full catalogue. Jallianwala Bagh, forced prostitution systems, epistemological destruction through Macaulay’s education policy, economic extraction of $45 trillion.
Apologizing only for what’s politically convenient at a specific moment proves calculation. Real contrition would be comprehensive and self-initiated, not event-driven.
The slavery was widespread business historically. Washington owned slaves. But the Britain also committed unique atrocities. The “everyone did it” defense doesn’t erase specific crimes. However, it does highlight why apologizing for only one category of harm appears strategic rather than principled.
The only conclusion is that it is media management for a declining power.
References:
- Western Media Bias: https://sandeepbhalla.in/western-media-bias-against-india/
- Media Changes Course: https://sandeepbhalla.in/western-media-changes-course/
- Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/jan/30/calls-for-king-charles-to-formally-apologise-for-slavery-after-research-shows-crowns-role
- BBC 2024: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6vy79p750o
- Breach of trust : https://sandeepbhalla.in/how-britain-robbed-ten-percent-of-indias-gdp-in-1947/
- Shrinking the Humans: https://sandeepbhalla.in/the-ancestors-of-british-king-charles-iii-shrunk-humans/
- Queens daughter in India (1899): https://sandeepbhalla.in/british-empires-exploitation-of-girls-and-prostitution-for-army-personnel-in-india/
- Macaulay plan of epistemological destruction: https://sandeepbhalla.in/macaulays-minute-on-indian-education/
- Operation Sanskrit Mill: https://sandeepbhalla.in/the-sanskrit-mill-operation-of-east-india-company/
- DD News: https://ddnews.gov.in/en/uk-pm-keir-starmer-calls-india-uk-free-trade-agreement-hugely-important/
- UK’s stance on Kashmir: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/keir-starmer-set-to-be-next-uk-pm-changed-labour-party-stance-on-kashmir-6038301