A young girl from Africa was taken as a diplomatic gift to Queen Victoria in England, where she was raised under royal patronage. Known as Sarah Forbes Bonetta, she became the queen’s protégé, receiving an education and later marrying a prominent African businessman with Victoria’s approval. The monarch also served as godmother to Bonetta’s eldest child, cementing a rare bond between British royalty and an African woman in the 19th century. Her story reflects the complex intersections of colonialism, privilege, and cultural exchange.
A girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was seven years old, Bayo Randle’s great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle as a “diplomatic gift” from an African king.Victoria would go on to pay for Bonetta’s education, approve her marriage to one of west Africa’s wealthiest men, and become godmother to her eldest daughter. Continue reading...
