Over the last few years, King Charles III and Prince William have seemed to slowly become more comfortable speaking openly about the role that slavery has played in the history of the UK. This week, the issue hit even closer to home when a Guardian feature story outlined newly uncovered connections between the transatlantic slave trade and historic royal wealth. In response, Buckingham Palace released an unprecedented statement in support of a research project that aims to outline the connections between the royal family and the slave trade.
“This is an issue that His Majesty takes profoundly seriously,” said a palace spokesperson, per the Daily Mail. “As His Majesty told the Commonwealth heads of government reception in Rwanda last year: ‘I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact.’ That process has continued with vigour and determination since His Majesty’s accession.”
The Guardian story focuses on a ledger showing that King William III, who reigned from 1689 to 1702 and built Kensington Palace, was given shares in the Royal African Company, which, according to The Guardian, “enslaved and transported thousands of African people.” The shares were a gift from Edward Colston, the company’s deputy governor. In 1689, those shares were worth 1,000 British pounds. The ledger was found in the National Archives by historian Brooke Newman, who is currently writing a book called The Queen’s Silence, and she found that the profit from the venture would have increased after William III became the governor of the RAC. The newspaper noted that the land for Kensington Palace was purchased just months after the transfer of these shares.
Historic Royal Palaces, a charity responsible for maintaining several royal palaces, is currently cosponsoring a University of Manchester research project by doctoral candidate Camilla de Koning. In its statement, the palace reiterated its support for the project. “Historic Royal Palaces is a partner in an independent research project, which began in October last year, that is exploring, among other issues, the links between the British monarchy and the transatlantic slave trade during the late 17th and 18th centuries,” a spokesperson said. “As part of that drive, the royal household is supporting this research through access to the royal collection and the royal archives.”
In an interview with BBC Radio 4, de Koning explained that her project aims to explore the active role royals played in making such deals. “It seems like they are just stamping decrees, but they are actually very involved as diplomatic players,” she said. “I’m hoping to change that perspective, that you can see there are way more links between the colonial and the monarch than ever have been investigated, or have ever been noticed, so we can flip that around.”
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