King Charles III of England has for the first time declared his support for an independent inquiry into the British monarchy’s transatlantic colonial past.
The announcement of Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the royal family, was made after a document was made public proving the participation of Edward Colston – a member of the Royal African Company, which held the monopoly of West African trade in late from the 17th century – in the slave trade.
The document was published by the British newspaper The Guardian and presents the transfer of 1,000 pounds in shares of the Royal African Company, in 1689, to King William III, sent by Colston, then lieutenant governor of the company.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said King Charles III takes the matter “very seriously” and therefore researchers will have full access to the royal archives and royal collection.
The study is a PhD project by historian Camilla de Koning, which began in October and is expected to be completed by 2026. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the work is being overseen by the HRP. and by Edmond Smith, a researcher at the University of Manchester.
De Koning’s research aims to investigate the involvement of the monarchy in the slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries and the involvement of the empire.
“I cannot describe the depth of my personal sadness at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of the lasting impact of slavery,” Charles III told Commonwealth heads of government in Rwanda last year.
The king intends to follow through on his promise with “vigor and determination” since his accession to the throne, a spokesman for the royal palace stressed.
Carlos III said he was aware that the roots of the Commonwealth “are in the most painful period in history” and defended that the moment to recognize the mistakes of the past “has arrived”.
Despite this progress, the announcement was considered insufficient and several voices have already called for more measures.
“I think King Charles knows enough to apologize, and he should. The year 2026 is several years away and the reparations issue is only gaining momentum,” said Eric Phillips, vice president of the Caricom Reparations Commission, which represents 20 Caribbean countries. countries and where European powers enslaved people to work on plantations.
A statue of Edward Colston was thrown into the River Avon in Bristol during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Source: TSF
