What We Reserve

The film looks at over 400 troubled years of the British monarchy as it relates to colonialism and the slave trade, with calls today for restorative justice and reparation.

July 1, 2023, will be a slavery memorial year in which the country “will pause to reflect on this painful history. 

This year will be the anniversary of the abolition of slavery 160 years ago. Activists consider next year the 150th anniversary, because many enslaved people were forced to continue working in plantations for a decade after abolition. History still plays a negative role in the lives of many today.”

The major player in the whole activity was Great Britain with both the British government and the monarchy; i.e., the Royal Family, equally implicated. The result is the ongoing five century tragedy of forced immigration from the colonies in Africa and resultant slavery in the colonies of the Caribbean. 

It began with Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Although slavery was not legally sanctioned, it did not prevent the first known slavers, William Towerson and John Hawkins, from operating during her reign. The royal family began to officially support the slave trade with her successor to the throne, James I. The Royal African Company was officially established in 1672 under King Charles II, achieving a peak 74% share of the market.  All told, Britain transported around 3.1 million enslaved Africans to the Caribbean until slavery was abolished in 1807. 

The cries for the government and the monarchy to account for its past sins over five consecutive centuries have been growing louder in recent years and have reached a crescendo with the Queen’s death. Strong united voices are speaking out in the Caribbean, and have created a ten-point action plan. Demands for a response are now being reported by mainstream media, with the likelihood of an international legal reckoning if the response is not to the satisfaction of all.