The royal crown branded on enslaved Africans: Britain’s monarchy and the slave trade
From Elizabeth I’s backing of early voyages to royal investment in trafficking companies, generations of monarchs were central to Britain’s slave trade
TL;DR
- Historians found evidence of enslaved Africans being branded with a hot metal royal crown by the South Sea Company, a British crown-backed enterprise.
- The Register of British Slave Traders identifies thousands of investors, including kings and queens, in Britain's trafficking of enslaved Africans.
- Monarchs like Charles II, James II, and Anne were central figures in establishing and investing in major slave trading companies like the Royal African Company and the South Sea Company.
- The Royal African Company branded enslaved people with 'DY' for Duke of York and 'RACE' for its own name.
- Queen Anne secured the *asiento* from Spain, an agreement to supply 4,800 enslaved Africans annually, which she granted to the South Sea Company.
- The South Sea Company trafficked over 43,000 African captives between 1714 and 1740.
- Calls are increasing for King Charles III to formally acknowledge the monarchy's role in the slave trade, beyond expressions of sorrow.
- Jamaica has petitioned for a legal ruling on the lawfulness of forced transport of Africans and whether restitution is owed.