Facts of the week: The British Monarchy’s Role in Slavery

Profits from the enslavement of Africans laid the foundation for Britain’s industrial revolution and global empire. Yet calls for reparations remain unanswered – with the monarchy offering no meaningful apology. This week’s Facts of the Week highlight the deep connection between the British monarchy, slavery and colonial exploitation.

SOURCES:

https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/englands-first-slave-trading-company/#:~:text=In%201618%20the%20Company%20of,of%20Warwick%20the%20following%20year).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/11/britains-monarchy-backed-slavery-from-day-one

https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/elizabeth-i/#gs.hzxwie

https://www.worldhistory.org/John_Hawkins/#:~:text=Sir%20John%20Hawkins%20(1532%2D1595,relations%20between%20England%20and%20Spain.

https://www.aaihs.org/on-barbados-the-first-black-slave-society/#:~:text=In%201636%2C%20a%20political%20directive%20provided%20that,culture%20and%20surrounded%20it%20with%20additional%20reinforcements.

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/12854-c8df6dcad690f94/

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/british-monarchs/james-ii/

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/royal-family-apologise-links-slavery-before-embarassed-1677595?srsltid=AfmBOooBMV1JY-OHIECZi3si65ZkN8R-jAldiP-Mb3NWsVNbahlUQ6Tx

https://academic.oup.com/book/7005/chapter-abstract/151348634?redirectedFrom=fulltext