King Charles has told of his “greatest sorrow and deepest regret” over wrongdoings during British rule.
King Charles has told of his ‘greatest sorrow and deepest regret’ over wrongdoings during British rule
The monarch, 74, who was crowned in May alongside his wife Queen Camilla, 76, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth aged 96 in September, spoke out in a passionate speech at a state banquet in his honour on his first trip to Kenya – which also marks his inaugural visit to a Commonwealth country as king.
Despite his apology, Charles stopped short of saying sorry for the deaths of local people during the Mau Mau revolt in the 1950s – which some activists had called for.
The king said: “It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together. However, we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship.
“The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and deepest regret.
“There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged a painful struggle for independence. There can be no excuse.
“Coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me to deepen my understanding of these wrongs.
“By addressing our history with honesty and openness we can, perhaps, demonstrate the strength of our friendship today. In so doing, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever-closer bond.”
Charles’ speech came after Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto hailed him him a “veteran visionary”.
But the leader has also called for reparations for years of “monstrous” offences and control over his country.
The Mau Mau rebellion began in 1952 and lasted for nearly 10 years, with the official death toll sitting at 11,000 – even though thousands more are thought to have died, with allegations that 11 Africans were beaten to death in a British camp.
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