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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
David Conn

The British kings and queens who supported and profited from slavery

William IV Elizabeth I Slavery James II George III King Charles III Queen Anne William III Brooke Newman Charles II
Queen Elizabeth I illustration
Queen Elizabeth I. Composite: Guardian Design/DeAgostini/Getty Images/Frank Baron/Reuters

King Charles III and Prince William have expressed “profound sorrow” at the atrocities of slavery, but neither has publicly accepted the crown’s central role in the trade. Over a period of 270 years, 12 British monarchs sponsored, supported or profited from Britain’s involvement in slavery, according to historians.

Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603)

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