Should Charles apologise to Kenya for Britain’s colonial past?
Spectator (UK)AUG 2023
King Charles Expresses Regret for Colonial Abuses in Kenya
Image copyright: Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
King Charles has only reasserted what was admitted a little over a decade ago — that the British colonial administration had committed torture and abuses against the Kenyan people. If the King truly wanted to break with the notion of imperial exceptionalism, he should have apologized and offered reparations for Britain's colonial atrocities. There was no better, more symbolic place for his first formal apology than Kenya.
Pro-establishment narrative
Given the controversial nature of the subject of his speech, King Charles would draw criticism either for going too far or not far enough in acknowledging British culpability for abuses in Kenya. Overall, however, his language was balanced and well-judged. Ignoring these issues would be short-sighted, but a full formal apology could trigger a domino effect in nations previously under British rule.