Royal commentator Hillary Fordwich gave Don Lemon a history lesson on slavery after Lemon naively suggested that Britain should pay reparations over slavery. He suggested the wealth inherited by King Charles III following Queen Elizabeth II’s death should be given to descendants of the victims of the African slave trade.

Fordwich responded by asking where slavery originated. Telling Lemon, the beginning of the supply chain was African Kings who rounded up their people, caged them, and sold them into slavery. She said Africa is where reparations should be obtained. She also indicated that 2,000 British sailors died trying to save enslaved people, and perhaps reparations should be paid to their families as well. Finally, she let Lemon know that Great Britain was the first country to abolish slavery.

CNN’s @DonLemon tells royal commentator Hilary Fordwich the royal family should pay reparations — immediately regrets it pic.twitter.com/LotCfBoAym

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 20, 2022

According to the Daily Caller, Toyin Falola, an African studies professor, told the Wall Street Journal that African kingdoms on the east coast played a pivotal role in European slavery. Africans sold vast numbers of fellow Africans into the trade,

“The organization of the slave trade was structured to have the Europeans stay along the coast lines, relying on African middlemen and merchants to bring the slaves to them,” he noted “The Europeans couldn’t have gone into the interior to get the slaves themselves.”

Fordwich’s comment on the British Navy’s commitment to saving slaves was confirmed. For 55 years, the British Royal Navy rescued 150,000-200,000 people from slavery. The humanitarian efforts during this time have been described as “by far the most significant human-rights action at sea during the 19th century.” According to The Maritime Executive.