Buckingham Palace has insisted that King Charles has a non-political role in the Commonwealth, as questions mount over whether he will apologise for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.

The King will deliver a speech at the major Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday, where the issue of slavery is expected to dominate talks.

He is expected to speak about the painful legacy of slavery, but the Palace has confirmed that the King's role is about “inspiring and convening, rather than policy-making”, and his position will have to reflect the British government.

It comes amid growing calls from Caribbean nations for the UK to pay reparations and apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit.

The Palace added that the King helps “bring people together from both the public and private sectors across the whole family of 56 nations, encouraging practical collaboration and creating momentum behind ideas that are now moving through Commonwealth channels.

“In that sense,…