The solemn coronation of British King Charles III on Saturday sparked indignation among African social media users.
Netizens considered the coronation a sad event, bringing back memories of British colonial atrocities and couldn’t figure out why Africans should rejoice at the occasion.
"It baffles me how Africans are celebrating the coronation of the descendant of their colonial masters. How ignorant and mindless can they be that we forgot so soon how they were captured and enslaved," one user commented.
Others were convinced that the new king would follow the line of his predecessors in harming Africa.
"The British royal family destroyed Africa and they are still continuing to destroy, King Charles will just continue doing the evil works of his late mother Queen Elizabeth," another user tweeted.
Some users pointed out that the coronation used attributes stolen by the UK from the colonies.
"Notice. Every bauble & relic at the coronation came from somewhere else. Gold stolen from Ashanti. Diamonds stolen from South Africa & India. Even the Destiny Stone was appropriated from Scotland. This is how oppressors keep oppressed in line. Reminding them they were conquered," one netizen commented.
Another African user shared the following opinion:
"The #Gold, we have seen on the #KingCharles' coronation carriages are stolen from #Africa. Not to mention, the blood of slaves in their hand. History shall judge. Time will tell. Amen/Amin."
"The coronation of King Charles III should serve as a reminder how the Monarch plundered the resources in Africa. It was a sad day to many of us," another netizen commented.
"When you realize that most of the gold and diamonds on display during that #CoronationDay were stollen or taken by force from other countries, in particular in #Africa, one can wonder if #shame and regret are sth these people can ever feel. #NotmyKing #Coronation," a user posted.
"It seems like a good idea to highlight a treasure that #colonizers took.The largest white diamond ever discovered is the Cullinan Diamond. It was disassembled and taken out of South Africa for the monarchy. #AbolishTheMonarchy #Coronation #QueenCharlotte #CharlesIII," one user tweeted.
"Guy who never worked in his whole life, living off looted wealth from other nations & ppl, honored as so called king with a crown embellished in stolen jewels looted from other nations, and strewn with the blood of the ppl. Colonial legacy! Nothing to celebrate!" another netizen summed up.
British King Charles III was crowned in Westminster Abbey on May 6. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, laid the crown of St. Edward on his head, which was followed by a gun salute in London. Before the crown was laid, the monarch was presented with a number of royal regalia, including an orb, a scepter and cross, a scepter and dove, and a sovereign's ring. The next part of the ceremony was the coronation of Charles' wife, Camilla, a ceremony that took much less time.
A number of foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, extended their congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation.