No formal apology so far from British royals for pivotal role in slave trade

British royals´ pivotal role in the slave trade goes back to the 16th century, when the first queen Elizabeth sponsored one of its first major proponents, John Hawkins.

King Charles II in the 1600s encouraged the expansion of the trade and with his brother, the future king James II, invested private funds in the Royal African Company.

The company transported hundreds of thousands of men, women and children from the continent across the Atlantic. Many were branded with the company´s initials.

King George III´s son, who became king William IV, opposed slavery abolitionists but was unsuccessful. Britain banned the transatlantic slave trade in 1807 and in all its territories in 1833.

Modern royals have addressed slavery in the past, most recently in Barbados, when Charles called it an "appalling atrocity... which forever stains our history".

In Jamaica, Prince William echoed his father´s words, expressing his "profound sorrow" and calling the practice "abhorrent". "It should never have happened," he said.

But so far, no formal apology has been made.

The visit came as Britain increasingly confronts its colonial past, in particular its memorials to historical figures.

Last December, four people were cleared of criminal damage after a statue of a 17th century slave trader was toppled during a Black Lives Matter anti-racism protest in Bristol.

Just this week, a Cambridge University college was told its bid to remove a memorial to a donor who had links to the Royal African Company was unsuccessful. (AFP)