Sunday, 18 October 2026 Updated 26 min ago
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An extraordinary life: descendant welcomes biography of woman ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria

A girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was…

Image accompanying the story: An extraordinary life: descendant welcomes biography of woman ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria
Image: Photograph: Royal Collection Trust / William Bambridge (1819-79) · via The Guardian

The Guardian reports that a girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was seven years old, Bayo Randle’s great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle as a “diplomatic gift” from an African king.

This world story centres on the United Kingdom. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Queen Victoria, Sarah Forbes Bonetta and African.

Why it matters

International developments of this kind are often followed closely by governments, aid organisations and global markets.

Key details

Location
United Kingdom · Europe
Reported by
The Guardian
First reported
Key names
Queen Victoria, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, African, Àìná
Section
World

Sources

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Read the full story at The Guardian

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