In this study, Jonathan M. Jackson (Project A02 “Past Futures”) examines King Lewanika of Barotseland’s 1902 visit to London for the coronation of King Edward VII. He explores how Lewanika used diplomacy to advance his political interests while navigating divisions within the British imperial administration. The study offers new perspectives on African diplomatic agency, sovereignty, kingship and the complexities of colonial rule.
Their Majesties and the Metropole: King Lewanika of Barotseland in Britain and the Coronation of King Edward VII, 1902
By Jonathan M. Jackson
Abstract
In 1902, King Lewanika of Barotseland travelled from the Upper Zambesi floodplain and his central African capital Lealui to London to attend the coronation of King Edward VII. The British South Africa Company hoped the visit would stabilise diplomatic relations with Lewanika and the Barotse nation. Lewanika had his own ulterior motives. Set within a complex set of circumstances, each leveraged the occasion for distinct political ends. Enshrouded by the celebration of sovereignty—British, African or otherwise—the visit was underlain by political dealings which went far beyond the superficial presentations of his visit as an expression of loyalty and affection. While many histories of colonialism centre on conquest and dispossession, and others highlight realities along the ‘resistance–collaboration’ spectrum, Lewanika was one of few African rulers who continuously engaged colonialism along diplomatic lines. When colonialism came to Barotseland, however, it was not a united force. As much as efforts were made to present the imperial presence as indivisible, Lewanika realised that a convoluted relationship existed between the British South Africa Company, the Colonial Office and the Crown. His hitherto underexamined visit to the heart of the metropole played a pivotal role in these relations, with much resting on the extent to which the colonial veneer could be restored. The result reveals critical insights into complex and fractious relations with and within ‘the imperial machinery’ at work in Britain and Barotseland. The visit serves as a prism which refracts broader dynamics and throws new light on concepts of sovereignty, kingship, loyalism and imperialism (both European and African).
Reference
Jackson, J. M. 2026. Their Majesties and the Metropole: King Lewanika of Barotseland in Britain and the Coronation of King Edward VII, 1902, The English Historical Review, 2026; DOI
Cover Image: Group photograph taken at Langley Lodge, Oxford. From left to right: unknown; Sikota Ishee Kwandu (aide); Lewanika; Colin Harding (standing); Amba (aide); Philip Lyttelton Gell; Edith Mary Gell. Source: Matlock, Derbyshire Record Office, D3287/99/18.
