Dutch historian Camilla de Koning explores the British royal family’s involvement in slavery. King Charles expressed his support for such an investigation into the role of the royal family for the first time yesterday. Research involving De Koning. It has been running for six months and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
De Koning focuses her research on the period 1660-1775, she says in the NPO Radio 1 program Nieuws en Co. “I can spy on palaces, and as a true history buff, that’s great,” De Koning says.
The first year of research will focus primarily on reading a lot and doing initial archive research. It also looks into the royal family’s investments, including company shares. “The role of kings was never considered in isolation,” he says. “It was sometimes mentioned a little in passing, but it was never a major focus.”
document revealed
The Guardian newspaper yesterday reported that Charles’ ancestor, King III. He published a document showing that William owned a stake in the Royal African Company in 1689. According to the document, the deputy director of this slave trading company transferred a thousand pounds worth of shares to the then monarch that year. In part in response to this article, Charles said he supported the royal family’s investigation.
The company was founded in 1660. That is why the Dutch player chose this year as his starting point. In their opinion, the Netherlands is comparable to the WIC. The Royal African Company was “co-founded by the King and his brother, so you can see they are very dedicated”.
There were eight monarchs between 1660 and 1775. During the first months of his research, the king discovered that Queen Ann, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, had been tasked with sending enslaved people to Spanish America.
“He takes this job and gives it to a British company,” De Koning says. “It’s an interesting political and diplomatic game in itself, but it’s also buying a 25 percent stake in this company.”
King Charles had previously said he wanted to enter British slavery “with strength and determination”. He visited Ghana in 2018, describing the slave trade as “a gruesome atrocity that leaves an indelible stain” but never acknowledged any royal intervention.
Source: NOS

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.