King Charles III has first expressed support for an investigation into the British monarchy’s ties to slavery after a document proving this was revealed, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said on Thursday.
The king takes the matter “very seriously” and scholars will be given access to the royal collection and archives, the spokesman said.
The statement comes after an article published by The Guardian newspaper revealed a document showing that the vice-governor of the Royal African Company, which traded slaves, transferred £1,000 worth of shares in the company to King William III in 1689.
The paper made this disclosure of the document, which shows a former member of the British monarchy’s connection to a transatlantic slave trader, as part of a series of reports on royal wealth and finances, as well as the monarchy’s connection to the slave trade.
King Charles III ascended the throne last year after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his coronation is scheduled for May 6.
At a ceremony marking Barbados becoming a republic two years ago, King Charles III referred to “the darkest days of the past and the terrible cruelty of slavery, forever staining history”. English settlers used African slaves to turn the island into a wealthy sugar colony.
The issue of slavery in the British Empire and calls for reparations are on the rise.
Research into the monarchy’s links to slavery is co-sponsored by Historic Royal Palaces and the University of Manchester and is expected to be completed by 2026.
Source: DN
