Key facts
- Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria as a child in 1850.
- Bonetta was effectively indentured to Queen Victoria until age 19.
- A new biography by Prof Henry Lovejoy challenges myths about Bonetta's life.
- Bonetta's descendant, Bayo Randle, views her life as a symbol of duality.
- Bonetta died of tuberculosis in Madeira in 1880, aged 37.
Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an African woman originally named Àìná, was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 at the age of seven. Her family had been killed in an attack by King Ghezo of Dahomey's forces in 1848. Royal Navy officer Frederick Forbes brought Bonetta to England, petitioning for her to be 'property of the crown,' which effectively indentured her to Queen Victoria until she was 19. Despite this, Victoria took a genuine interest in Bonetta's welfare, paying for her education and becoming godmother to her daughter. Bonetta married James Pinson Labulo Davies, a wealthy West African man, though she expressed little love for him. Her image was used as imperial iconography, promoting the idea of a British 'civilising mission' in Africa. A new biography by Professor Henry Lovejoy challenges myths surrounding Bonetta's life, including her supposed royal lineage and the extent of her time in England. Bonetta died of tuberculosis in Madeira in 1880 at the age of 37.