Crown Jewels looted from Africa

[Birdy1066]

The massive diamond in the sceptre of the monarch is the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats . It was discovered in 1905 and ‘gifted’ to the British royal family by the then colonial powers.
Activists in South Africa are now demanding that it is returned. I absolutely agree with them. Amid all the pomp and ceremony of the recent funeral everyone turns a blind eye to the fact that many of the gems in the Crown Jewels were looted from Africa in one form or another under colonialism.
Africa is NOT poor. But it’s peoples are poor because it’s mineral wealth and massive riches have been torn out of it and shipped elsewhere by western countries.
The majority of the British press couldn’t give a toss about the colonialist legacy of Great Britain but it is crucially important that the issue is examined and reparations made.
Those glittering diamonds, emeralds and rubies so much admired and set in the crowns and gaudy trinkets of the rich were taken out the dirt of Africa and dipped in the blood of its people.
At the very least it’s time they were returned.
Do you agree ?

I was about to say this!
Better that it stays where it is for the time being...

Do you think returning the diamond will ensure the poorest on the continent will be cared for?

Knowing what I do about SA? Nope.

Curious - is the UK government sharing the wealth of the jewels with the UK people?

Sounds no different to the Government we have here in the Uk.

How would returning it actually help the people of SA?

And how does keeping it help the people in the UK?

The usual xenophobic responses to these kinds of legitimate enquiries.

"Can't possibly give the Elgin Marbles back to the feckless Greeks, they won't look after them properly".

"Can't give jewels back to the countries we stole them from, they're all corrupt, don't you know? We'll look after it for them, until such time as they can prove to be as upstanding and moral as we obviously are."

The colonial attitude never really goes away, even when the former occupiers are now a tinpot state which launders money on an industrial scale, and has a shitshow of a government that can't keep things going for more than 18 months without an election.

I believe we should follow a statute of limitations on all international disputes of the natural lifespan of the people involved. We can’t make it the lives of the people involved because that would provide an incentive to murder. After the generation has passed naturally, whatever the dispute, be it artifact, border, or personal harm, it must be put to rest. We can and should learn lessons from the incident, but constantly trying to change things that happened in the past keeps disputes alive instead of allowing us to heal and grow. we shouldn’t keep arguing the battles of our ancestors.

So out of curiosity, if the jeweles came from say Canada, would you be happy giving them back then?

It was a birthday gift to Edward VII, so of course they can't have it back.

Africa’s people are still poor because of corruption.

I agree.

Many diamonds left during the colonial powers time, either sold or gifted.
Are they all meant to be returned?
I just don't see how that would work.
Working to ensure that conflict diamonds aren't traded now would seem a more worthwhile activity.

So if I steal something and then give it to someone else as a present, the person I stole it from has no further claim to it?

Wasn't stolen, was bought.

Inconvenient truth.

So did the Dutch not have any African gems?

Yes, mostly from the Western world.

While I see your point, the more pressing issue in my opinion is the modern day, ongoing stripping on an immense scale of Africa for its mineral resources to supply rich western nations.

It's easy to demand the crown jewels are given back, that wouldn't impact you. But if you had to give up your smartphone because Africa ceases sending men to their deaths to mine the rare minerals involved, meaning they can't be made any more, or if you had to give back the diamonds in your engagement ring or earrings, I don't think you'd be so quick to say we should give them all up.

Your (and my) phones rely on minerals being taken out of Africa and dipped in the blood of its people. Are we really any better?

It was discovered in 1905 and ‘gifted’ to the British royal family by the then colonial powers.

It was discovered, bought by the South African province government of the time - for £16m in today's money - and then gifted to the British royal family. If it's history is going to be examined, it's important that all facts are included, I think.

Diamonds are not rare or scarce. They come out the ground by the bucketful and are squirrelled away to control supplies and keep prices high.

Rather than worry about a diamond that came out the ground more than 100 years ago, it might be better to give those countries greater access to mine their own minerals now. That way, they have a future pipeline of income.

But than, even better than that is to tear down the diamond industry totally - so that it is not worth so much that it encourages violence and corruption in pursuit of vast wealth.

Lockheart yes I would give my phone up, and I’ve never owned a diamond or precious stone in my entire life !
Some heartwarming responses on here ! Not !

Unfortunately scum rises to the top. Unfortunately power corrupts. Unfortunately there is a global government that doesn't allow for much sovereignty, not really. So unfortunately trinkets being shared between very powerful people in head's of governments will make no real difference to citizens or their lives.

So this type of demand is just virtue signalling.