The royal crown branded on enslaved Africans: Britain’s monarchy and the slave trade
New historical research reveals that the British monarchy and elite institutions were directly involved in the slave trade, including the branding of enslaved Africans with the royal crown. The findings, based on South Sea Company archives, highlight the systemic role of the crown in historical human trafficking.
Why it matters
This research contributes to ongoing debates regarding the legacy of colonialism and the historical accountability of the British monarchy.
A close-up of a King Charles’s eyes beneath a jewelled crown, with silhouetted figures and ships collaged above Composite: Guardian/Diana Ejaita A close-up of a King Charles’s eyes beneath a jewelled crown, with silhouetted figures and ships collaged above Composite: Guardian/Diana Ejaita Enslaving nation Slavery 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
Enslaved African people were seared with hot metal brands bearing the royal crown, according to research by historians who have documented the monarchy’s centuries-long involvement in Britain’s slave trade.
The Register of British Slave Traders identifies thousands of people who invested in Britain’s trafficking of enslaved Africans, including kings and queens.
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