Lloyd's of London apologises for 'shameful' role in Atlantic slave trade

FILE PHOTO: The interior of the Lloyd's of London building is seen in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, April 16, 2019. Picture taken April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/

LONDON (Reuters) - The Lloyd's of London insurance market has apologised for its role in the 18th and 19th Century Atlantic slave trade and has agreed to fund charities and organisations promoting opportunities for black and ethnic minority groups.

"We are sorry for the role played by the Lloyd’s market in the eighteenth and nineteenth Century slave trade - an appalling and shameful period of English history, as well as our own," Lloyd's said.