Sarah Forbes Bonetta, born into a West African royal family, was brought to England at age seven as a 'diplomatic gift' for Queen Victoria. The Queen took a personal interest in Bonetta’s upbringing, funding her education and acting as a godmother to her eldest daughter. Bonetta eventually married James Pinson Labulo Davies, who was among the wealthiest men in West Africa at the time.

A new biography, 'Becoming Sarah Forbes Bonetta: A Yorùbá Girl in Victorian London,' seeks to provide a deeper look at her life beyond the narrative of her royal connection. While historical accounts often focus on the Queen’s benevolence in supporting the orphan, the biography aims to contextualize the relationship within the broader political and colonial agendas of the era. The author and Bonetta’s descendants suggest that while the Queen’s interest in Bonetta was genuine, the arrangement was fundamentally rooted in the power dynamics of the 19th-century British Empire. The book highlights the tension between Bonetta’s status as a protected royal ward and the reality of her being a displaced individual within the Victorian social hierarchy.