King Charles III apologizing during a state visit to Kenya "wouldn't be enough" to "show he understands the complicity of the royal family in the racism that still marks the country and the continent," a university professor told Newsweek.
The king and Queen Camilla met President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto in Nairobi during the first full day of their tour of Kenya.
The royals visited the Mugomo Tree, a fig tree where on December 12, 1963, Kenya marked its independence ahead of an evening speech on October 31 where he was expected to address Britain's colonial history.
Charles was under pressure to apologize for the brutal suppression of the Mau Mau rebellion in the 11 years leading up to independence, contradicting long-standing U.K. foreign policy.
There is also a more personal backdrop to the tour as Queen Elizabeth II was in Kenya and staying at the Treetops safari lodge in February 1952 when her father George VI died and she found out she had become queen.
Kehinde Andrews, professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, told Newsweek Charles should go one step further and renounce his thrown.
"Even an apology wouldn't be enough to be honest," said Andrews, who was interviewed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix show Harry & Meghan.
"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."
Andrews' is a prominent commentator on race in Britain and his comments show just how big a challenge the king faces if he is to confront the Monarchy's historic links to the Empire.
In 1952, the Mau Mau rebels rose up against British colonial rule, attacked settlers and livestock, and met a brutal response in which 90,000 were either executed, tortured or maimed.
In 2013, the British government agreed in an out-of-court settlement to pay compensation and legal costs totalling around $25 million to more than 5,000 survivors of British camps.
However, Foreign Secretary William Hague at the time stopped short of an apology and did not accept liability.
Charles' visit comes at a time when the royals have been under pressure over the legacy of British colonialism, with Jamaica preparing to petition the king directly for slavery reparations.
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas in March 2022 to celebrate the queen's Platinum Jubilee.
However, they were hit by protests and calls for an apology for slavery, were told by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness that the country was looking at ditching the monarchy and were then criticized over two botched photo calls.
Charles' visit to Kenya—his first to a Commonwealth country since becoming king—was timed to mark the 60th anniversary since the country became independent of British rule in 2023.
It was therefore always pitched by the palace in the context of colonialism and its legacy of trauma, unlike William and Kate's trip to the Caribbean.
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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