By 1807, the British monarchy had established itself as the largest purchaser of enslaved individuals in the world, a fact revealed through groundbreaking research into its historical involvement with slavery. This exploration has been vividly documented in the book The Crown’s Silence by historian Brooke Newman, following up on a report from The Guardian titled Cost of the Crown that uncovered the monarchy's concealed connections to transatlantic slavery.
The book highlights that when Britain officially abolished the slave trade within its empire, the Crown had already acquired an astonishing 13,000 enslaved men for military purposes, spending approximately £900,000 in the process.
While Buckingham Palace typically refrains from commenting on literary works, sources indicate that King Charles has expressed a deep personal regret regarding the atrocities associated with slavery, taking this matter with utmost seriousness.
Newman embarked on her research a decade ago, prompted by her discovery of "secret correspondence" revealing George IV's alarm over potential uprisings, similar to the Haitian Revolution, occurring in Jamaica. This revelation came during her investigation for a previous project centered on the Caribbean island, a territory under British control for over three centuries.
As an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Newman meticulously examined royal archives and documents related to the Royal Navy, colonial officers, government officials, and companies like the Royal African Company and the South Sea Company for The Crown’s Silence.
She stated, "Historically, the Crown boasted about its links to the transatlantic slave trade, literally branding its royal identity onto the practice and the bodies of enslaved individuals."
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, formerly enslaved people such as Olaudah Equiano, Mary Prince, and Ottobah Cugoano actively reached out to the monarchy, sending their writings and letters and engaging in petition campaigns through newspapers. Despite these appeals, the monarchy remained largely unresponsive.
Newman asserted, "It was only through the activism of groups like the Sons of Africa, comprised of Black abolitionists, that significant changes began to unfold in the 19th century, prompting the monarchy to radically shift its stance."
One of her pivotal findings is that the Crown owned thousands of enslaved individuals in the Caribbean up until 1831. Notably, even while George IV was overseeing the Royal Navy's efforts against the transatlantic slave trade, he continued to benefit from the labor and sales of enslaved people—an awareness that concerned the government regarding public perception.
The enslaved individuals owned by the Crown included those working on plantations that were forfeited after revolts or when planters died without heirs, as well as those "purchased in the king’s name" for roles at royal dockyards and naval facilities. This practice commenced in Jamaica under George II as they sought skilled laborers to replace white workers who were succumbing to tropical diseases.
She elaborated, "They decided to acquire enslaved boys and men whom they could train as skilled tradesmen, such as shipwrights and carpenters, to serve the Royal Navy. Once it became apparent that this approach saved costs for the monarchy, it was replicated elsewhere."
The book also discusses how, following the abolition, Africans who were liberated from slavers by the Royal Navy were often forced into apprenticeships or drafted into British military service.
Newman pointed out that the 18th century saw an explosive growth of the slavery industry, particularly after the Royal African Company, which had been founded by the Stuart monarchy, lost its monopoly. This shift contributed significantly to the expansion of English cities like Liverpool and Bristol and bolstered Britain's finance and insurance sectors, as well as those in the United States.
From the reign of Elizabeth I through to the 18th century, the Royal Navy played a critical role in promoting the slave trade by providing support and resources to slave trading enterprises. Profits from these operations flowed back to the Crown.
"By the 18th century, the British monarchy no longer needed to engage in covert activities—they were now directly involved in major imperial conflicts such as the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution," she explained.
Both George II and George III began viewing enslaved individuals as pawns in their imperial strategies. Even after slavery was abolished, freed Africans were still forcibly recruited into West India regiments and stationed in West Africa under royal orders.
"Ultimately, the reality for those either owned by the monarchy or otherwise remained bleak. While there was an expectation that life would improve under a king's nominal authority, the lived experiences did not reflect that hope," Newman concluded.
