“None of us can change the past”

(BBC) The King has said “none of us can change the past” in a speech to Commonwealth leaders.

But leaders could commit to learning from it and “finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure”, he told the summit in Samoa.

Diplomatic sources have told the BBC a number of Commonwealth heads of government want to start a “meaningful conversation” about whether the UK should pay reparations for its role in the slave trade.

The King, who did not directly address slavery, was speaking at the opening of the biennial summit for the first time as the head of the 56-member group.

He said the “most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate” but said members of the Commonwealth “know and understand each other such that we can discuss the most challenging issues with openness and respect”.

“It is vital therefore that we understand our history to guide us to make the right choices in the future,” he said.