King Charles III on Thursday said he backed an investigation into the British royal family’s ties to slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries — an issue he takes “profoundly seriously,” according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
The significant announcement is believed to be the palace’s first instance of public support for research into the royal family’s much-debated involvement in the enslavement of African people.
Charles, who ascended to the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September, expressed support for the research after the British newspaper The Guardian published a previously unseen document showing the involvement of King William II with the Royal African Company, a slave-trading enterprise, in 1689.
The document detailed the transfer of 1,000 pounds in shares from the slave-trading company to the king’s predecessor.
While Buckingham Palace didn’t comment on the document itself, it said Charles fully supports the investigation by offering access to the royal collection and the royal archives. The investigation is being co-sponsored by Historic Royal Palaces, a charity that manages some of the U.K.’s unoccupied royal palaces.
“This is an issue that His Majesty takes profoundly seriously. As His Majesty told the Commonwealth heads of government reception in Rwanda last year: ‘I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact,’” the spokesperson told The Guardian.
“That process has continued with vigor and determination since His Majesty’s accession,” they added. “Historic Royal Palaces is a partner in an independent research project, which began in October last year, that is exploring, among other issues, the links between the British monarchy and the transatlantic slave trade during the late 17th and 18th centuries.”
The research, a Ph.D. project by historian Camilla de Koning, is expected to be completed by 2026.
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