With the lies Omid Scobie is pedaling in his book, “Endgame” about King Charles and Kate Middleton being the “royal racists,” it raises some difficult questions about whether or not King Charles should bring his monarchy into modern times by apologizing for their part in the slave trade.
The Royal Family and the Royal African Company
The royal family’s connection to slavery dates back centuries. The Royal African Company originated in 1672 and monopolized the slave trade.
According to PBS.org,
“Between the years of 1680 and 1688, the company moved an average of 5,000 slaves per year.”
The Duke of York founded the company. There is irrefutable evidence of King William III weightily benefiting from the slave trade for income. King Charles is a descendant of Edward Porteus, who possessed a tobacco agricultural estate with enslaved people.
Poteus’s son, Robert, inherited the plantation after he died. This meant that he also inherited the enslaved people. Time magazine states
“Robert’s great great great granddaughter, Frances Smith, married aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon. The granddaughter of Smith and Bowes-Lyon was the late Queen Mother, the grandmother of King Charles.”
Slave voyages were authorized and approved by Queen Elizabeth I. This means there were enslavers and plantation owners in Queen Elizabeth II’s family. These early monarchs profited from the slave trade.
The royal family has roots in slavery. There is no doubt about it. However, King Charles has admitted his ancestry and even takes the history of the slave trade within the monarchy very seriously.
King Charles Has Spoken Out Against Britain’s Controversial Colonial Past
The King has often spoken about his “personal sorrow“ concerning the intense suffering of these enslaved people and supports research into the family’s participation in the slave trade.
It is undoubtedly not King Charles’s fault that the royal family profited from slavery, and more than likely, these are baseless allegations. Still, the King mentioned in such a negative light might be worth a deeper discussion.
Former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan is hopeful that the King might try to make reparations in the coming years.
When Trevelyan discovered that her family tree included enslavers, she donated $127,000 as reparations.
Slavery was legal in England and its colonies until 1834, and King Charles did his best to make amends. He has visited other countries and given speeches condemning the practice of slavery.
Omid Scobie‘s major bombshell may encourage debates in the UK about racism and the royal family.
There could also be questions about whether it is feasible that justice should be done for those families who have somehow been affected by this archaic and inhumane practice.
King Charles may want to consider making reparations to convince the future generation of his sincerity. Even though he has nothing he personally has to make up for, the gesture would not be unwelcome.
William and Kate are the future King and Queen. If there is to be any positive change in the royal family, they could be the ones to enact it. King Charles has got the ball rolling, but we should see that momentum continue.
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