Remember Queen Victoria, the British monarch
who once ruled the biggest empire in the world? The time of her reign was the Victorian Era,
people donned Victorian fashion, and buildings were constructed with distinctive Victorian
architecture. But there’s one thing not many people know
about the Queen: she once adopted an African girl, thus saving her life! Perhaps we could call this the first Victoria’s
Secret? Alas, no… But let’s first set the scene. It’s the mid-19th century, and things are
changing for the better worldwide, at least when it came to the emancipation of slaves
and abolishing the trade for good. It’s ended in the British Empire in 1834,
3 years before Victoria even took the throne. But liberating its own subjects wasn’t nearly
enough for the Crown. The empire was on a mission to end this practice
globally. Fast-forward to 1850, and a British emissary
arrives in Dahomey, which would be part of present-day Benin. Buying and selling captives was still common
in this West African kingdom. In fact, its ruler, King Ghezo, was known
to capture people from rival tribes. That’s why Captain Frederick E. Forbes of
the Royal Navy was sent there to carry out this noble mission. But what he managed to achieve would end up
becoming much more personal than that… During his stay, the African king introduced
him to one of his most valuable prisoners. And it was... a 7-year-old girl named Aina. Two years before that, Ghezo’s forces had
attacked her hometown, which was in present-day Nigeria. The poor child lost her entire family, while
she herself was enslaved. Before the tragedy took place, her father
had been the chief of the Yoruba people, so she was believed to be a princess. No wonder Aina ended up living in the court
in Dahomey as a treasured asset. But as time went on, Ghezo decided that the
girl was no longer of that much use to him. So, there were talks that Aina was going to
be used in a sacrifice. When the British officer came to know of the
girl’s fate, he decided to rescue her at any cost. And you won’t believe what he came up with. Forbes asked permission to take the child
with him to England as a “gift” for Queen Victoria! I know, seems a bit strange that a person
could be taken as a present for someone, but, hey, at least her life was spared since King
Ghezo agreed. Soon the two of them left for Britain. His ship that they sailed on was called HMS
Bonetta, and the child was given a new name in both the captain and the ship’s honor:
young Aina was now Sara Forbes Bonetta. For a child that hadn’t received any proper
schooling, she really was a bright kid! Sara learned English quickly and was soon
able to speak the new language fluently. Her other talent was music. But greatest of all was her passion for knowledge. Forbes referred to her as “a perfect genius”. He said that Sara was “far in advance of
any…child of her age, in aptness of learning, and strength of mind and affection.” He really did admire the young girl who’d
been through so much for her tender age. Sara’s bright mind and charm didn’t go
unnoticed by the Queen herself either. They first met in 1850 at Windsor Castle. Like everyone else, the monarch was impressed
by this, in her words, “sharp and intelligent” girl. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship
that lasted Bonetta’s entire life. But, of course, there was another side to
this story that involved less endearment and more practicality. Captain Forbes, who became her guardian, thought
that with her background and proper upbringing, the now-Anglicized African princess could
help with missionary work in Africa. Either way, the Queen was happy to help Sara. She paid for her education and made sure that
she grew up into a real English lady. She cared for her so much that she became
her godmother. Though Sara initially lived with the captain’s
family, she visited the Queen every now and then. Victoria was fond of her, endearingly calling
her Sally like a proud parent. Sara played with the royal children and made
friends with the Queen’s second daughter, Princess Alice, who was the same age as her. They became so close that Alice would later
invite Sara to her wedding. It seemed that things were finally looking
good for the orphan. She had friends and a new family looking after
her and enjoyed the protection of the Queen herself. And most importantly, she was free. But a year later in 1851, she began to suffer
from a terrible cough. Doctors believed it was because of the English
climate, which was nothing like the weather she was used to. So, it seemed only logical that the best way
for her to get better was to send her back to her home continent. Sara, now 8 years old, was sent to Sierra
Leone, which was a British colony at the time. She attended a missionary school there for
the next 4 years. Unlike the other girls, she lived in her own
room and corresponded regularly with Her Majesty. Sally was a good student, and her godmother
often rewarded her with presents of all kinds, including books and toys. But despite all that, Sara didn’t like it
there. In 1855, she returned to England, which, in
the child’s heart, already felt like her real home. By that time, Captain Forbes had, unfortunately,
passed away, so Sara was sent to live with a missionary named Reverend Schoen and his
wife. The couple took her in and became her new
family. Sally really liked it there and called Mrs.
Schoen her mom. She lived in Kent with them for several years,
but she always made sure to travel to Windsor on special occasions to see the Queen and
her family. And still, Sara’s life was no fairy tale. Although she was close to the royal house,
she could hardly take charge of her own destiny. When she turned 19, the Queen decided it was
time for Sally to get married. A suitable match was found in no time, and
that was Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, a British naval officer and businessman. He was born in Sierra Leone and was of Yoruba
descent as well. He was wealthy, and, on the surface, it appeared
that the two of them had a great deal in common. Match made in heaven, right? Well, not quite. Just put yourself in the shoes of a young
woman being forced to marry someone you don’t even know! It comes as no surprise that Sara didn’t
really love him, at least not at first. The bright young woman that seemed so far
ahead of her time strongly felt that a marriage of convenience would do no good. She said “‘Am I to barter my peace of
mind for money? No – never!” Yet, like most young women at the time no
matter where they were from, poor Sara practically had no choice. In 1862, she married Davies. Their ceremony in Brighton was so extravagant
that it made headlines. Bonetta had not one but 16 bridesmaids! She also showed up in style with 10 horse-drawn
carriages. But, hey, she was a princess – what else
can you expect? Although the royal family didn’t come to
the wedding, Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait of the newlyweds for her own personal
albums. She wanted the job to be done specifically
by Camille Silvy, the same photographer who captured many members of the royal family,
including Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. Since Davies lived and worked in Lagos, which
was yet another British colony in Africa, Sara followed him there and started working
as a teacher. A year after the wedding, she gave birth to
their first daughter. Sara named the baby after her beloved godmother. The Queen, in her turn, showered the girl
with gifts and agreed to be her godparent as well. In 1867, Sara and her family briefly returned
to England to stay at Windsor. That was the last time she saw her longtime
patron and dear friend. Sara had two more children with Davies, a
boy Arthur and another girl Stella. But it’s no surprise that it was her eldest
Victoria who had a real connection with her noble namesake. Her Majesty took care of her financially and
admired her the same way she had little Sara so many years ago. Victoria kept in touch with the Queen till
the rest of her days. So, I guess, like mother, like daughter. Sara Forbes Bonetta lived an extraordinary
life. Wherever she went, whatever challenges she
faced, she remained a true lady and an aristocrat in her own right. Her relationship with Queen Victoria is such
a heartwarming example of friendship far ahead of its time. So, how about you? Are there any other stories of friendship
that you admire? Let me know down in the comments! And if you learned something new today, then
give this video a like and share it with a friend. But – hey! – don’t go hobnopping with
the Queen just yet! We have over 2,000 cool videos for you to
check out. All you have to do is pick the left or right
video, click on it, and enjoy! Stay on the Bright Side of life!
