The King has said the slave trade “fills my heart with horror” – but stopped short of offering an apology – in a speech to Commonwealth leaders as the UK faces mounting demands to pay reparations for its role in the slave trade.

King Charles told a summit in the Caribbean : “The transatlantic trade in enslaved persons still casts a shadow over these islands and other members of our Commonwealth.

“As I have said before, that shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow.”

A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest in Nassau, The Bahamas (Reuters)

Earlier this week, prime minister Andy Burnham signalled that he was “open” to a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and approved £40m in aid funding for the Caribbean amid calls for the UK to pay reparations.

But former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has warned that forcing millions of ordinary Britons to fund huge sums in slavery reparations would…