Britain Betrayed Queen Victoria's Will — Justice for Akwamu Now!!!

“As future Queen of Akwamu, I honour Queen Victoria’s sovereign act of silence, which protected our kingdom’s sovereignty — and now history demands justice," said HRH Princess Barbara Vandross of Akwamu.

On the 27th July 1886, a treaty was signed between the Governor of the Gold Coast and the King and people of Aquamoo (Akwamu) for the conditional incorporation of the Akwamu Kingdom into the British Gold Coast Colony.  But the truth is simple:

The 1886 Aquamoo Treaty was never legally binding. Yes, the Akwamu King signed it. Yes, the Governor of the Gold Coast signed it as a plenipotentiary for the Crown. But under both British constitutional law and Customary International law of the 19th century, that was not enough.

Colonial Governors were plenipotentiaries who had the power to negotiate and sign treaties. But only the Crown — only Queen Victoria herself — had the executive royal prerogative to ratify treaties during the 19th century. The treaty even admitted this in Article III by stipulating that the instrument would take effect subject to a 12-month period during which Her Majesty could withhold ratification.

In other words, the treaty was drafted in two stages: the first stage involved signing, which provisionally put the treaty into effect; the second stage was ratification, the only act that could bind the treaty in law. Her Britannic Majesty's Government was given twelve months to complete this second stage. That ratification never occurred, which means the treaty never became legally binding. 👉 #JusticeForAkwamu

Just as the 1897 Land Bill could not take effect without Queen Victoria’s approval, the 1886 Aquamoo Treaty could not be valid without her ratification — and in both cases, the Governor of the Gold Coast had no lawful authority to act beyond the Crown.

Queen Victoria never ratified the 1886 Aquamoo Treaty.

Her silence mattered. Without her signature, the treaty had no force. It was unfinished, inchoate — in plain words, dead paper.

👉 “The Gold Coast Governor was only a plenipotentiary — a messenger with a pen. Without Queen Victoria’s ratification, his signature was an empty gesture,” said HRH Princess of Akwamu.

Queen Victoria’s silence was not neglect. It was a decision — a sovereign act to protect Akwamu’s sovereignty and respect for the rights of the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family. Her silence shielded our land for us, her allies, her subjects, her partners, to one day reclaim it.   👉 #QueenVictoriaSaidNO!!!

But what did the British Government do instead?

👉 They illegally ceded Akwamu land to Germany and France in the 1890s.
👉 They folded the rest into the Gold Coast Colony — without a valid legal basis.
👉 And in the 1940s, they went further still, forcing a non-royal regent on us, cutting the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family out of our rightful custodianship.

This was not a misunderstanding. It was not “messy colonial paperwork.” It was betrayal. A betrayal of the Akwamu people, a betrayal of the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family, and even betrayal and territorial theft in Queen Victoria’s name, violating the very constitutional principles the British Empire claimed to uphold.

By doing this, the British Government:

👉 Overstepped the Royal Prerogative;
👉 Violated the rights of the Akwamu people;
👉 And ignored Queen Victoria’s sovereign decision.

Here’s the point: Article III gave the Crown twelve months to act. No action took place. That silence was Queen Victoria saying NO!!!. Yet the British Government brushed it aside and annexed us anyway.  
👉 #QueenVictoriaSaidNO!!!

Because of this, Britain now stands exposed to international claims that could cost trillions in reparations and restitution. All of it unnecessary — all of it avoidable — if only Queen Victoria’s decision had been respected.

And so I say this clearly: I will fight for justice. For my family. For my people. And yes — even for Queen Victoria herself, whose will was defied by her own government.

This is not acceptable. I will not rest until justice is done. — HRH Princess Barbara Vandross of Akwamu

 Evidence and Rediscovery
This matter has been revived through:

Parliamentary Written Question UID 23506 (13 January 2025) to the FCDO, which confirmed there is no evidence that the treaty was ever ratified.  👉 #QueenVictoriaSaidNO!!!

Research by Dr. Justin Pope (Missouri University of Science & Technology) has traced Akwamu royals and subjects carried off after the 1730 Danish–Akwamu War to the Danish West Indies (now US Virgin Islands), Brazil, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad many of whom became part of the Windrush Generation in Britain.

👉 "Britain still has a chance to right its wrongs — in honour of Queen Victoria’s sovereign decision to protect Akwamu — by restoring the Kingdom to the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family and the Akwamu people. Today, Akwamu remains legally unincorporated within Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Britain must therefore use its diplomacy to reunite Akwamu as one sovereign entity, or pay the current market value for its lands and natural resources (onshore and offshore).” Said The Duke Of Akwamuman and Abusuapayin (Heads Of The Yaa Ansaa Royal Family) 👉 #JusticeForAkwamu!!!
 
Our Demands
We, the undersigned, demand that the British Government:

Issue a formal public apology:

 👉 To Her Majesty Queen Victoria, whose royal prerogative was blatantly ignored;

 👉 To the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family and the Akwamu people, for unlawfully dissolving their sovereignty for 139 years;

 👉 To British taxpayers, who will carry the financial burden of this unlawful act for generations;

👉 To the Commonwealth Summit for the unlawful dissolution of Akwamu sovereignty, to seek international support for its restoration or fair restitution.

Provide a full legal and historical clarification of the Aquamoo Treaty’s status and its implications.

👉 Provide full restitution for the continuous and unlawful deprivation suffered by the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family and the Akwamu people over a period of 139 years, together with reparations for the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and exploitation of Akwamu lands and natural resources (both onshore and offshore), which were taken and disposed of absent any valid legal instrument or ratified treaty.

👉 Formally recognise the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family as the lawful and legitimate custodians of the Akwamu Kingdom, as affirmed by the judgment of the Supreme Court of Ghana on 4 May 2022.

Acknowledge, return, and restore the sovereignty of the Akwamu Kingdom — or face international legal consequences.

👉 “If the UK fails to meet these demands, then the United States must step in. As the home of millions of African Americans — many of whom are direct descendants of Akwamus displaced through the transatlantic slave trade during the 1730 Danish-Akwamu war — the U.S. carries a duty of care to help protect what rightfully belongs to its people. Justice for Akwamu is not only a British responsibility but also an American one, tied to the shared history of our diaspora.” Said The Duke Of Akwamuman and Abusuapayin (Heads Of The Yaa Ansaa Royal Family)

A Call to the Public
We ask the British public — and especially those of African and Caribbean descent — to stand with us in this campaign for justice, recognition, and historical truth. 👉 #JusticeForAkwamu

Support a DNA reconnection campaign to reunite Akwamu descendants worldwide — including in the UK, U.S., and Caribbean. This effort is not only about tracing heritage but also about identifying Diaspora Yaa Ansaa Royals with legal backgrounds — lawyers, judges, and advocates — who can take up this fight. Because in truth, this struggle belongs as much to the Yaa Ansaa Royals in the Diaspora as it does to those of us in Africa. Together, we can pass the baton to the next generation of legal minds in the Diaspora, who are best placed to carry our case to the finish line. 

✍️ Sign this petition. Share it widely. Help us correct a 139-year-old wrong.   

💡 P.S. Want to do more? Help us fund our legal team, DNA tracing, and international advocacy by donating here: 👉 GoFundMe: Justice for Akwamus

👉 Learn more about the Yaa Ansaa Royal Family here