King Charles III Signals Support for Research into British Monarchy’s Ties to Slavery

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III has signaled support for research into the British monarchy’s ties to slavery. This comes after a document was revealed in The Guardian newspaper that showed an ancestor of the King, King William III, had 1,000 pounds of shares in a slave-trading company transferred to him in 1689.

In response to the document, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that King Charles III takes the issue “profoundly seriously” and has committed to giving academics access to the royal collection and archives. This is the first time the British monarchy has publicly acknowledged its ties to slavery and the document has sparked a debate about the monarchy’s role in the slave trade.

The document has also raised questions about the extent of the monarchy’s involvement in the slave trade and the implications of this involvement. Some historians have argued that the monarchy should take responsibility for its role in the slave trade and make reparations for the suffering caused by it.

The debate about the monarchy’s ties to slavery is likely to continue in the coming weeks and months as academics and historians continue to research the issue. It remains to be seen what actions the monarchy will take in response to the document and the debate it has sparked.