Episode 113 - Painting a portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta at Osborne

This week we’re focusing on a new exhibition of portraits, which have been commissioned to celebrate the lives of six people of the African diaspora, whose stories have contributed to England's rich history. One of the figures featured in these new portraits is Omoba Aina, later renamed Sarah Forbes Bonetta. The daughter of a West African ruler, Sarah was captured and enslaved by King Gezo of Dahomey (present-day Benin) at the age of five. In 1850 she was presented as a ‘diplomatic gift’ to Captain Frederick Forbes of the H.M.S. Bonetta and brought to England, where Forbes introduced her to Queen Victoria. The queen was so taken with the young child that she paid for her education and became her guardian.

Joining us to discuss her life and the artwork her story has inspired are English Heritage’s properties historians’ team leader, Dr Andrew Hann and artist Hannah Uzor.

To discover more about the new portrait exhibition, Painting our Past: The African Diaspora in England, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/painting-our-past

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