# An extraordinary life: descendant welcomes biography of woman ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria

- Source: Guardian World
- Published: 2026-10-18T07:00:53+00:00
- Category: World
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/18/sarah-forbes-bonetta-biography-queen-victoria
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/an-extraordinary-life-descendant-welcomes-biography-of-woman-gifted-to-6f956b/

A girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was seven years old, Bayo Randle’s great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle as a “diplomatic gift” from an African king. Victoria would go on to pay for Bonetta’s education, approve her marriage

_Ground Level News shows a short summary only; the full article and all rights belong to Guardian World._