By the age of just 7, Sara Forbes Bonetta had survived a West African war, lost her parents, been enslaved and finally, exchanged as a gift for a far-flung queen. When she arrived in the court of Queen Victoria in 1850, the monarch was immediately impressed by the determined, intelligent young girl. She took Sara under her wing as a royal protégée and goddaughter, setting in motion an extraordinary story of transformation and identity.
Dan is joined by Joanna Brown, author of Bright Stars of Black British History, to discuss Sara's extraordinary life and what it can tell us about the British Empire.
Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.
Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.
We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
2. The Rise of Hitler
1. Hitler's Early Years
Pocahontas: The True Story
Hunting Pablo Escobar
Babylon
The Salem Witch Trials
James Beckwourth, Conquering the American Frontier
Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings - Signal Award Gold!
Reburying the Dead of America's Revolutionary War
The Murder of Christopher Marlowe
The Arab- Israeli War: Yom Kippur War 1973
Mary, Queen of Scots
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank: A History
WWII Britain's 'Missing' Sailors
HMS Terror: Cursed Arctic Expedition
Scottish Kings' Sex Lives
The Hundred Years' War
Alexander The Great: The Siege of Tyre
Alexander The Great
England's Greatest Monarchs with David Mitchell
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Battleground
Gone Medieval
Key Battles of American History
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk