King Charles III's comments on colonialism were "the right thing to say and heartfelt," according to royal biographer Robert Jobson.
The brutal suppression of the Mau Mau rebellion by the British administration in Kenya during the 1950s, at the start of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, has been a key point of discussion during King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit to the country.
Charles used a speech at a banquet in Nairobi on October 31 to address the "wrongs of the past," which he said "are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret."
However, he stopped short of an apology, which he was under pressure to make, in line with the British government's policy that it does not accept liability for the crimes of empire.
Robert Jobson, author of the bestselling biography Our King, who is on the tour, told Newsweek: "I think the King spoke with dignity and respect. Nobody can rewrite the past, but acknowledging past atrocities and expressing sorrow and regret is the mark of a civilized country."
"Some people may disagree, and he is, of course, as head of state torn between the devil and the deep blue sea, but what he said in Kenya was the right thing to say and heartfelt," Jobson said.
Jobson's comments follow a strong rebuke from Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, ahead of Charles' speech.
Andrews, who was interviewed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix show Harry & Meghan, told Newsweek:
"Even an apology wouldn't be enough, to be honest. Nothing short of renouncing his throne at the Treetops Hotel, where his mother found out she was queen, would be enough to show he understands the complicity of the royal family in the racism that still marks the country and the continent.
"The very idea of the king visiting the former 'colonies' is symbolic violence in itself, to be honest."
Elizabeth II became queen while she was on vacation in 1952 at Treetops, a remote safari lodge, when her father, King George VI, died.
In his speech at the State House in Nairobi, Charles said: "The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.
"There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty—and for that, there can be no excuse.
"In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own
understanding of these wrongs and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
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