King Charles III’s Omission of Benin’s Oba Sparks Outrage

British Royals, Culture, Diplomacy, Opinion, Royals, World

King Charles’s State Banquet Speech and the Missing Oba of Benin

Investigating why King Charles’s state banquet speech for President Tinubu named many Nigerian leaders but ignored the Oba of Benin, despite the Benin Empire’s historic significance.

Atlantic Post

March 19, 2026

6–9 minutes

Atlantic Post, Benin Empire, Colonial History, Cultural Heritage, featured, King Charles III, Nigeria-UK Relations, Oba of Benin, Tinubu State Visit, Traditional Rulers

By Mark Olise

At the Windsor Castle state banquet on 18 March 2026, King Charles III warmly welcomed Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. In his address, Charles mentioned meeting several respected leaders. He singled out “your highly respected traditional leaders, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, Onitsha, Warri, and The Emir of Kano” during a 2018 visit. These names cover Nigeria’s leading Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and southern rulers. However, they notably excluded the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo (Oba Ewuare II). He is the monarch of the ancient Edo kingdom.

Nigerian officials, including President Tinubu’s spokesman Bayo Onanuga, lauded Charles’s praise of Nigerians in Britain (he noted that so many Nigerians “are now at the heart of British life” but made no mention of the Benin monarch. The omission has already raised questions in Nigeria and beyond, given the Benin Kingdom’s storied history and cultural weight.

The King’s remarks show which traditional figures he chose to honour – and by omission, which he did not. His list consisted of:

Sultan of Sokoto – the spiritual head of Nigeria’s Northern Muslim community.
Ooni of Ife – one of the two paramount monarchs of the Yoruba people.
Obi of Onitsha – the traditional ruler of an important city in the Igbo-speaking eastern Nigeria.
Olu of Warri – the monarch of the Itsekiri community in the Niger Delta.
Emir of Kano – the emir of Nigeria’s Kano State, a leading northern Islamic ruler.

In each case Charles mentioned the title explicitly. Conspicuously absent was the Oba of Benin, the 13th-century institution that long predates these other kings. (The King’s speech did not say “the Benin king,” nor “Edo Oba,” nor name Oba Ewuare II.)

To many Nigerians – especially Edo people – this felt like a glaring oversight. If the King intended a “roll call” of traditional leaders he had met, he overlooked Benin’s monarch. This omission stood out sharply in retrospect.

A Storied Kingdom Overlooked

Why does the Oba of Benin matter so much? The Benin Kingdom (in modern Edo State) was once one of West Africa’s great empires. Under Oba Ewuare the Great in the 15th century, its territory “vastly expanded”.

By the mid-1500s Benin’s realm stretched from the Niger Delta in the east to what is now Lagos in the west. Its capital, Benin City, was protected by enormous walls and moats. The oba (king) oversaw a highly organised state with guilds of artisans.

Benin became world-famous for its metalwork and ivory carvings, especially the celebrated “Benin Bronzes.” From the 15th through 18th centuries, Benin actively traded in ivory, palm oil, and pepper with European powers. It served as a crucial link to the interior.

Benin’s historical extent: By about 1500, the Benin kingdom stretched from the Niger River delta in the east. It reached what is now Lagos in the west. This shows it once rivalled any other Nigerian polity in size.
Cultural legacy: The oba reigned from a lavish palace in Benin City. It was adorned with thousands of brass plaques and ivory carvings. Its craftsmen formed secretive guilds; their works – from bronze heads to ivory masks – are considered masterpieces of African art. The city’s great walls are one of the world’s largest earthworks.

In short, Edo’s history looms as large as Nigeria’s other great peoples. Contemporary Edo pride rests on this heritage. Few Nigerians doubt the historical importance of the Oba of Benin. They consider him on equal footing with the Ooni of Ife or the Sultan of Sokoto. Indeed, a line could be drawn: Charles named Islamic leaders and two Yoruba/Igbo kings, but skipped Edo’s.

1897: Colonial Conquest and the End of an Era

The Benin Kingdom’s dramatic fall in 1897 still casts a long shadow. In January 1897 a British diplomatic party en route to Benin was ambushed (with seven officials killed). As punishment, Britain mounted a “punitive expedition.”

In February a force of roughly 1,200 British troops marched on Benin City. The goal was to depose the oba by force and seize the territory. The British attacked and burned the royal palace to the ground, completely devastating Benin City.

In the chaos, soldiers looted thousands of objects: later accounts estimate 3,000–5,000 artifacts were carted off or destroyed. These treasures – the Benin Bronzes – were dispersed into museums and private collections in Europe and America.

Deposing the Oba: Britain’s victory meant Oba Ovọnramwẹn (who had ruled since 1888) was forcibly removed. He was sent into exile, ending centuries of independent monarchy. Benin became part of the British Protectorate.
Cultural looting: Contemporary British reports (now re-examined) confirm the palace was ransacked. Between 3,000 and 5,000 items of “immense cultural value” were taken from the ruins. These items included ritual objects, sculptures, and royal treasures. The British admiralty even auctioned off much of the loot to cover costs.
Aftermath: Following the raid, Benin City lay in ruins. The Kingdom was subsumed under colonial Nigeria. The oba’s descendants survive today as titular monarchs, but their role is largely ceremonial.

These events are a raw wound in Nigerian history. King Charles himself alluded to “chapters in our shared history that… have left some painful marks”. Yet in his Windsor speech he did not name the episode or acknowledge Edo’s 1897 tragedy.

From the Benin perspective, raising the Oba’s name could have been a symbolic nod to that painful heritage. Its omission left some observers wondering why it was skipped.

Acknowledging the Legacy Today

In recent years, Western institutions have begun to confront this legacy. On 8 February 2026, Cambridge University announced its decision. It will transfer legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts back to Nigeria.

These items – primarily brass and ivory sculptures – were confirmed as taken by British soldiers during the 1897 expedition. Such repatriations underscore how the Benin story is being re-examined.

In January 2022 Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums formally requested the return of artefacts looted in 1897. Cambridge’s council approved the claim. In 2026, it agreed to hand over ownership of 116 pieces to Nigeria’s museum commission.
The university noted it had engaged Benin’s royal court and Nigerian scholars for years. It acknowledged that “the return of cultural items… is not just the return of the physical object, but also the restoration of the pride and dignity that was lost” when they were taken.

This gesture is significant. Similar promises from the British Museum and others also play a role. They highlight how the Benin raids are now seen worldwide as egregious colonial violence. It suggests that the historical importance of the Oba of Benin is finally being recognised internationally.

If King Charles’s speech had one small hint at this process, it was his toast to Nigeria – “Naija No Dey Carry Last!” (a colloquial proverb, meaning “Nigerians Never Come Last”). That upbeat send-off earned cheers, but to many Nigerians it rang hollow without at least a mention of the Oba.

On a practical level, Nigeria–UK relations appear strong: trade is booming and many Nigerians thrive in Britain. But symbolic snubs can sting. Some Edo elders privately grumbled that an equal partnership would have quietly inserted the Oba among the honoured names.

State House coverage (via Onanuga) focused on Charles’s praise of Nigeria’s diaspora. It highlighted his respectful references to Fulani Sultan and Emir. Yet, it omitted any debate over the missed tradition in Benin City.

Conclusions and Reflections

So was the omission a simple oversight or a subtle slight? The facts are indisputable. Charles recited a litany of Nigerian leaders by name. Yet, the Oba of Benin did not figure in it. Given the Oba’s historical and cultural stature – and the kingdom’s dramatic encounter with Britain – the silence is remarkable.

It is hard to imagine it was mere accident. It reflects how some aspects of our past may still be under-acknowledged in official diplomacy.

This article does not claim King Charles intended insult. Rather, it highlights a gap between rhetoric and heritage. Charles praised Nigeria’s modern dynamism and diaspora contributions. He spoke of lessons from history. However, he ignored a chapter that Edo people feel must be remembered.

If “rain does not fall on one roof alone,” as he quoted, then surely no traditional roof of Nigeria should be left out of such a speech.

In the spirit of his own words, perhaps “two heads are better than one.” By acknowledging Edo’s monarchy now, Nigeria and Britain could move forward together. This would allow for mutual respect for the pains and glories of the past.

For Nigeria’s Edo kingdom, the Oba remains a living symbol of a legacy that was never lost. A speech may fleetingly forget to say so.