(INTENSE MUSIC PLAYS)
(TOOL BUZZES)
MARC FENNELL: What is the biggest diamond you've ever seen?
MARC FENNELL: What is the biggest Like, give me, like, a finger size.
It's small. Oh, it's very small.
It's small. Very small?
Just a small one. Very small?
Just a small one. Small one.
Just a small one. What would you do with a diamond
this size?
Ooh, jeez. (WHISTLES)
That's big.
Cut it. Cut it. That's big.
Cut it. Cut it.
I love your face, like, "Cut that thing!"
(ALL LAUGH)
Do you know what that's a replica of?
The Cullinan diamond.
The Cullinan. The Cullinan diamond.
The Cullinan. The Cullinan.
Do you know where the real one is?
It's in England.
On the crown.
How much do you know about the Cullinan diamond, where it came from?
(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)
TUMI BOPAPE: For me,
nothing about the discovery of the diamond was fair.
Absolutely nothing.
It was gifted by the government of the time.
A fair price was paid,
and that's it.
DARREL BLAKE: The Cullinan diamond and that's it.
DARREL BLAKE: The Cullinan diamond
represents glory upon glory upon glory
of the wealth that was taken from other nations.
VUYO ZUNGULA: That diamond
is a product of the subjugation of the people of this country.
NEVILLE MOTLHABAKWE: Stolen goods, if you ask me.
If you look at it now,
it's gross!
In the days of the British Empire, things were taken.
They now live in museums, galleries and some much stranger places.
I'm Marc Fennell,
and this is the story of how they really got there.
and this is the story (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
ARCHIVE REPORTER: All eyes were on this moment.
Two hours of ceremony and tradition dating back thousands of years.
Two hours of ceremony and tradition In 2023
millions of eyes were on this cathedral
as King Charles was crowned.
And in the streets crowds clamouring
for a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry, for a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry,
Rooted in long-standing traditions the coronation was a big success.
(CHEERING)
And it looked like the entire United Kingdom lined the streets.
Well, not quite everyone.
DARREL BLAKE: I could stomach it for about 10 minutes
and then I had to stop.
I didn't like the ceremony at all.
Marc. How are you?
I'm very well. How are you doing? I'm good. Thank you for having me.
Welcome to London,
but, most importantly, welcome to Westminster Abbey.
My guide today but, most importantly, welcome to Westminster Abbey.
My guide today
one-star review of the coronation
and the owner of that one-star review of the coronation
is Darrel Blake,
a researcher and expert on London's Black history.
a researcher But, to be honest,
this place, Westminster Abbey,
where monarchs are crowned this place, Westminster Abbey,
where monarchs are crowned and farewelled,
it's not particularly known for its connection
it's not particularly known to Britain's African history.
Until you look a little closer.
This is a young Queen Elizabeth II.
The main centrepiece This is a young Queen Elizabeth II.
The main centrepiece for the coronation
The main centrepiece was the Cullinan diamond.
The Cullinan diamond is a group of diamonds. There's nine of them.
Here at the top of the royal sceptre
is the Great Star of Africa.
That's Cullinan diamond one.
And then number two is this one here
on the Imperial Crown.
The coronation of King Charles wearing the Cullinan diamond,
it breaks my heart to see it
because what the Empire represents
is nothing but pillaging
and taking over people's lands and stealing their resources.
And the diamond, a raw natural resource, was taken from the earth.
And now it's worth over £1 billion.
Where does that money go?
It goes here to Britain.
When we walk around the City of London,
it's a reminder of all the wealth that Britain has.
And it's about the wealth that they've taken from other nations.
And it's about the wealth that Looking around London,
I see blood.
So, is the Cullinan the world's largest blood diamond?
Well, the answers start here.
(EPIC MUSIC PLAYS)
This is South Africa.
Deep underground is where you need to go
to find where the story of that precious gem begins.
(SOMBRE MUSIC PLAYS)
This is a diamond mine.
The year is 1905,
and a manager at a mine just like this is doing a routine inspection.
And then something catches his eye.
It's a glint of light above him.
Now, he thinks it's a joke, It's a glint of light above him.
Now, he thinks it's a joke, he thinks that his colleagues
have just hammered a piece of glass in there
have just hammered to, you know, play a joke on him.
But, just to be sure,
he pulls out a pocket knife and he starts digging around it.
And the story goes is that the pocket knife snaps.
When they eventually dug out that diamond,
When they eventually it was unbelievably clear.
It was also massive.
We're talking about It was also massive.
We're talking about the size of a fist.
And that mine was owned by a man, Thomas Cullinan,
hence how the diamond, the largest of its kind ever found in the world,
hence how the diamond, the largest would come to be known.
But how does a South African diamond
end up in the hands of the British Royal Family?
Well, to answer that
you have to go back to a time
before South Africa became South Africa.
(HUBBUB)
For thousands of years
many distinct communities of African people
many distinct communities lived on this part of the continent
until a ship ran aground
off the coast of southern Africa until a ship ran aground
off the coast of southern Africa in 1647.
off the coast of southern Africa And, no, it was not the British.
It was actually another global superpower -
It was actually the Dutch.
Tim!
Nice to meet you. I'm Marc.
Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for meeting me.
This is Tim Forssman,
an archaeologist This is Tim Forssman,
an archaeologist
and expert on the colonisation of Africa.
The first Dutch settlement came in 1652,
The first Dutch settlement arriving in what is now Cape Town.
The settlement expanded,
the establishment of farming, agriculture.
There was a castle, a fort, that was established,
and, so, this began to grow.
The early, mostly Dutch colony did grow
The early, mostly Dutch colony right up until these guys arrived.
At about the early 1800s,
there's a period of turmoil around southern Africa.
And ultimately it was the British Empire that took control of the cape.
However, a lot of the Dutch living in that region
were very displeased by this,
which led to people fleeing were very displeased by this,
which led to people fleeing into different areas.
And, so, they set off to find new land on this vast continent.
This is a period known as the Great Trek, And, so, they set off to find new land on this vast continent.
This is a period known as the Great Trek,
and this trek of people went into the interior.
Several family lines settled in these different districts
and started farming, set up cities.
And, so, that was this big and initial settlement of white people
in the interior of South Africa.
They became known as the Boers.
'Boer' is Dutch for 'farmer',
and they were deeply religious
and eventually set up their own republics...
..often in conflict with their British neighbours.
It was a period of interplay between these two,
the British imperial forces on the one side and the Boer republics.
And then there's the colonial enterprise, you know,
And then there's driving into these new territories,
taking them over and establishing larger colonies.
This grew, it worsened, tension arose,
This grew, and that just gradually escalated.
So, at that stage, it was a very tumultuous place.
And this place was about to get a whole lot more tumultuous.
All because of this -
diamonds.
(MACHINE CLANKS)
This big hole (MACHINE CLANKS)
This big hole
is actually South Africa's very first diamond mine in Kimberley.
And, yes, they really do call it The Big Hole.
This is so much bigger than I imagined.
This is so much bigger Oh, it's huge.
Is now a good time to tell you that I have a terrible fear of heights?
Then you're very brave...
(LAUGHS) ..to come this far.
(LAUGHS) (LAUGHS)
I have never felt less like a grown-up than this exact moment.
Anyways, this is Tumi Bopape.
She grew up here in Kimberley.
And my dad is an ex-miner.
Would this area exist as it does today
Would this area exist without the discovery of diamonds?
The discovery of diamonds without the discovery of diamonds?
The discovery of diamonds was the essence of Kimberley.
The discovery of diamonds It was the essence of the community.
As soon as diamond gets discovered,
they realise, "Listen, we've hit the jackpot. This is it." Right?
they realise, "Listen, we've hit And people started...
So, people came And people started...
So, people came from all various areas of the world.
The fact that diamonds were found here was such a big deal
that Kimberley's actually built this weird oldy-world replica town
as a tourist attraction to remember it all by.
After discovery of diamond
the landscape changed drastically.
The discovery of diamond
had anything and everything to do with land.
And, obviously, power struggles come in.
The ones in power made sure that their interest
is really just to get
as much of the diamonds or the resources at the time.
It was a territorial struggle between the Boers and the British.
They just had to get the resources,
all the resources to themselves.
And, so, with land and resources like diamonds on the line...
And, so, with land and resources (BATTLE CRIES)
..the British and the Boers, they go to battle.
TIM FORSSMAN: The Boer War took place between 1899 and 1902.
It was quite a brutal war, wasn't it?
It was quite a brutal war, It was. Yeah.
It was a very brutal war,
a brutal war fought between an incredibly large...
..what became a very large, you know, army from the British
and a small group of local people here
and a small group that were living in this region.
And it led to quite a significant amount of deaths and destruction.
At the time it was referred to as a 'white man's war'.
There was an agreement between British and Boers
that Black indigenous communities would not be involved in this war.
But, of course, because it's in their lands,
in their territories, around their communities,
they absolutely would have been affected right from the very start.
So, life would have become really tough for pretty much everyone.
So, life would have become really (EXPLOSION)
The British began employing devastating scorched-earth tactics.
And that was the destruction of all farmhouses.
The destruction of all animals and crops as well.
The destruction And incarceration in massive numbers
of Boer and Black women and children.
of Boer and Black And it was in this period
that the British created some of the very earliest concentration camps. And it was in this period
that the British created some of the very earliest concentration camps.
They're pretty bleak places.
Poorly run, too little food, very bad hygiene.
And there are stories of beatings, rapes,
And there are stories people being fed broken glass.
Families were in these camps people being fed broken glass.
Families were in these camps dying by the thousands.
By the end of the war you had concentration camps for white people
and concentration camps for Black people.
The amount of people who died in white camps,
we have a pretty good idea of how many that was.
Bit the Black camps, it's an estimate.
If we look at just the Boer people,
they had 27,000 people die If we look at just the Boer people,
they had 27,000 people die in the camps.
At that stage
that was estimated to be At that stage
that was estimated to be around 10% of their population.
So, 10% of a population of people dying within a two-year period
So, 10% of a population of people is an incredible figure.
How does the war end?
The war ends 31 May 1902.
The British, they squashed the Boer forces.
This is the Boer War Memorial in Johannesburg.
It's erected to commemorate the men, women and children
that lost their lives during the war.
that lost their lives It's amazing.
You can see the names
of various people who fought during the war, died during the war.
This is to commemorate those actions and significant amount of deaths.
Thousands are now dead,
southern Africa is decimated,
the Boers are crushed,
and the British are now in charge.
And then, three years after the end of this brutal war,
And then, three years after the end someone comes out of a British mine
on land that used to be controlled by the Boers,
and they're holding this massive diamond -
the Cullinan.
I'm at a diamond-cutting school in Johannesburg.
I'm at a diamond-cutting school (MACHINES BUZZ)
How big a deal was it when a diamond this size was found here?
It was totally groundbreaking
from the point of view that
it's the largest gem-quality diamond that had been found at the time,
and since to this day is still the largest gem-quality diamond.
and since to this day is still 3,106 carats.
It's totally historical
and nothing has been found that comes close to it.
Neil Rademeyer, Alan Lowe and Howard Bell
are some of South Africa's foremost experts in diamond valuation
and the instructors of these young diamond polishers.
(TOOL BUZZES)
When you get a diamond, how do people evaluate it?
What are you looking for in a good diamond?
For me, I think the colour is, like, important.
Yeah, the colour and the size.
Good clarity, good colour and carat.
So, the three Cs.
Three most important things on the diamond when you're evaluating.
Carat is basically the mass, or size, of a diamond.
So, how does the Cullinan measure up on these three Cs?
HOWARD BELL: It is so large. It is so unique.
It's internally flawless.
It is actually unfair, unreasonable
and not right to put a value on it.
It is absolutely priceless.
Priceless, you say?
Cullinan's diamond company was determined to sell the massive gem.
The decision was made to send the diamond to England,
where they thought it would fetch the best price.
But how do you send one of the world's largest diamonds
But how do you send halfway around the globe?
Well, they loaded it up in a steamship in Cape Town,
Well, they loaded it up they locked it in a captain's box
surrounded by police guards armed to the teeth.
Except they didn't.
The diamond on that ship was a fake.
The real one
they packed in a parcel
and they sent it in the post.
(CHUCKLES)
So, you got it? Yes! I have.
Thank you very much. Uh...
I don't get gifts often, so...
Wow.
Wow!
(LAUGHS) Yes.
(LAUGHS) Wow.
This is the most speechless Wow.
This is the most speechless I've ever seen you.
This is the most speechless (LAUGHS)
Because I... (SIGHS)
How do I, um... (LAUGHS)
How do I, um... Yes. Uh...
Is it wild to you Yes. Uh...
Is it wild to you that they sent it in the post?
Is it wild to you Absolutely.
Because if you know anything about the British postal system...
(LAUGHS) ..things go missing quite often.
So, the diamond arrived safe and sound.
But what happened once it got to England?
This place is Salisbury House.
Salisbury House essentially was created in 1898 as a base and a hub
for companies trading diamond and gold,
and, essentially, the Cullinan diamond was brought here.
Now, the company had an agent in this building, and, essentially, the Cullinan diamond was brought here.
Now, the company had an agent in this building,
and his job was to sell the diamond. in this building,
and his job was to sell the diamond.
How did he go with that?
Well, essentially, he spent two years trying to sell the diamond,
and there was no joy.
You would think in London it would be easy.
You would think in London No.
Why is it so hard to sell one of the world's largest diamonds?
I think it's because the diamond was just too big and too pricey
for the average wealthy person even in those days
for the average wealthy person to own and to buy.
At least for an individual to buy.
But then Cullinan's mining company At least for an individual to buy.
But then Cullinan's mining company got a surprising request.
But then Cullinan's mining company The Boer government back in Africa...
Offered to buy the stone from Thomas Cullinan
for, in those days, £150,000,
which would translate to modern terms today
somewhere in the region of $20 million.
It was then that the Boer government does something very odd.
It was then that the Boer government So, it was then suggested
that the diamond be donated to the British Crown,
at the time King Edward VII.
The King accepted the diamond
as, quote, "a token of the loyalty and attachment of the Boer people."
as, quote, "a token of the loyalty The Cullinan is cut and polished
into nine big pieces
and 96 smaller ones.
Allegedly, the jeweller and 96 smaller ones.
Allegedly, the jeweller was so overwhelmed by the task
he fainted when he struck the first blow.
(CLANK!) (GASPS)
They presented King Edward VII with the two pieces,
which was Cullinan I, which was the 530 carat,
and Cullinan II, which was 300 and something carats.
and Cullinan II, (WHISPERS) Something big.
Yeah. (WHISPERS) Something big.
Yeah. Something impressive.
Those two stones were presented to the King,
Those two stones which he immediately announced
would go into what is now known which he immediately announced
would go into what is now known as the Crown Jewels.
(FANFARE) would go into what is now known as the Crown Jewels.
(FANFARE)
VOICEOVER: The orb, Imperial State Crown and sceptre.
The sceptre has set in its head
the flawless pear-shaped diamond Great Star of Africa.
In the Imperial State Crown is the Second Star of Africa
In the Imperial State Crown set in the centre of the headband.
So, after a devastating war where thousands of Boer are killed
in either battle or concentration camps,
why did they gift this diamond to a British king?
Ultimately, the Royal Family accepted the Cullinan diamond
Ultimately, the Royal Family as a gift from a colony
that they had been in conflict with about five years prior.
So, it's kind of controversial in that sense.
What's underneath that? (LAUGHS)
Right? Because there's a lot of things about that that are just like,
"I don't know if that makes a lot of sense."
So, there's got to be something that sits underneath that.
Yeah, you know, there has to be. There's obviously this interplay.
Yeah, you know, there has to be. We've lost this war.
We're now kind of a newish colony We've lost this war.
We're now kind of a newish colony in a sense.
You know, let's curry favour a little bit.
Let's show that we've kind of forgiven you
for this massive destruction of our landscape.
So, there are all these different elements
that are at play in this scenario.
But gifting the diamond
wasn't just about forgiving the horrors of the past.
The Boers and the British saw it as a tool to build a new future.
The Boers and the British saw it These are the Union Buildings,
the official seat of the South African government.
the official seat Built in 1910,
these two wings you can see, they symbolise the unity
between the Boers and the British
as they come together to form the nation of South Africa.
as they come together Thank you for meeting me.
In a fairly august location too. Thank you for meeting me.
In a fairly august location too. (LAUGHS)
Vuyo Zungula is a member of parliament here
and he's been fighting for years for social equality in South Africa.
When people walk around here and they see this beautiful building
that seems like a symbol of unity,
what would you like them to know about the roots of that unity?
what would you like them to know Yeah, no, look, it's a...
..it's a unity that excludes.
It's unity between two groups - the Boers and the British.
It's unity between two groups - The Union Buildings, basically,
is a stark reminder
that the Boers and the British got together and said,
"Let's forget about fighting each other.
"Let's work together, benefit from this land together as the settlers,
"and let's just subjugate the indigenous people."
How explicit was race in the treaty between the Boers and the British?
Look, the race has always been a key factor
in the sense that the Africans
were basically not regarded as people at the same level.
were basically not regarded (BATTLE CRIES, GUNFIRE)
At the end of the war with the Boers, (BATTLE CRIES, GUNFIRE)
At the end of the war with the Boers, the British signed a peace treaty,
and during negotiations they agreed on this very particular phrase -
"The just predominance of the white race,"
and entwined into that relationship
is the Cullinan diamond.
When the diamond was given by the Boers over to the British,
they had a term for it, they called it 'the gift to heal the rift'.
When they are talking about healing the rift,
it is healing the rift between them
as the white groups in our country, the British and the Boers -
as the white groups in our country, "Let's work together.
"Let's subjugate the millions of Black people" at the time.
How do you guys feel
about the fact that a diamond from your home, from South Africa,
about the fact that a diamond is part of the Crown Jewels?
I'm quite comfortable with it from the point of view
that it was gifted by the government of the time,
and that was their call at the time,
and I don't have an issue with that.
WAS it a gift? Of course not.
And it depends from which side you're giving the story.
Look, for me, nothing about the discovery of the diamond was fair.
Absolutely nothing.
It never belonged to the Boers and the British.
It never belonged For me it's, "Whose land is it?"
VUYO ZUNGULA: Before South Africa was colonised
people were living in very, very profitable land.
But the Boers and the British got together,
they removed people from the rich lands
and they dispossessed the land of our people
for them to actually settle in their lands,
whereby they could mine, they could farm
and they could enjoy the wealth of the land.
So, it's the same thing with the Cullinan diamond.
So, it's the same thing That diamond was stolen.
What is true is that the owners of that particular diamond
and the minerals of our country
will always be natives.
(CHEERING)
When you see that diamond being used (CHEERING)
When you see that diamond being used in the coronation of a new king,
When you see that diamond being used images broadcast around the world...
Mm.
..and they're just wearing it - Mm.
..and they're just wearing it - it's on a sceptre, it's on a crown -
how do YOU feel?
(SIGHS)
It's a joke.
It's... It's a mockery to what we would call history.
VOICEOVER: There are three and a half times more Black Africans
VOICEOVER: There are three than there are white.
But the white man is determined to stay on top.
The present government plans to maintain white supremacy
The present government by apartheid.
That foundational agreement between the Boers and the British,
that the just predominance of the white race,
that would eventually give birth to apartheid.
Decades of racial segregation socially, economically, politically,
right up until it ended in the 1990s.
But its legacy is inescapable.
Right near that diamond mine But its legacy is inescapable.
Right near that diamond mine in Kimberley
you'll find one of South Africa's oldest townships for non-whites -
you'll find one of South Africa's Galeshewe.
NEVILLE MOTLHABAKWE: This man here is one of the chiefs,
NEVILLE MOTLHABAKWE: Kgosi Galeshewe.
Basically was the king around here.
Oh, wow.
The British didn't like him,
and they sort of tried to push him off his land.
and they sort of tried And then that's Ma Francis Baard.
Mm-hm. A unionist.
And then she rallied against apartheid, against discrimination,
against being treated badly.
Journalist Neville Motlhabakwe
used to be an anti-apartheid activist
and he spent 10 years in the same prison
as the former president, Nelson Mandela.
What was it like for YOU to live under apartheid?
What was it like It was bad. Uh...
You saw a lot of adults It was bad. Uh...
You saw a lot of adults being mistreated by white people.
You saw a lot of adults Apartheid is basically exclusion.
'Apart' means 'you stand apart from me'.
"I'm superior. I'm more of a human being than you are."
You see what it does? It permeates life.
It was a daily thing.
It was hurtful. I mean, it was spiteful.
It was denigrating you.
You know, it was degrading us.
You know, It sort of drains you.
It sort of takes the dream out of your eyes.
How do you feel about the fact
that one of the biggest and most How do you feel about the fact
that one of the biggest and most expensive diamonds in the world
that one of the biggest and most came from this land
and is now in the UK?
How do YOU feel about that?
Well, that sort of is typical of the British, isn't it?
Amassing wealth unjustly, unfairly and in an immoral fashion.
It doesn't shake them, you know, it's part of what they do.
It doesn't shake them, They gave it to their royals,
and they felt no shame
in putting it on their heads and on their finery.
in putting it on their heads Stolen goods, if you ask me!
I mean, if you look at it now, Stolen goods, if you ask me!
I mean, if you look at it now, it's...
I mean, if you look at it now, ..it's gross!
Whether that diamond was stolen or not
really does seem to depend on who you ask
and whose version of history you most want to entertain.
and whose version of history What is abundantly clear, though,
is there is an enormous amount of wealth
that has been extracted from this land,
that has been extracted and not everyone has benefited.
It was meant to be a gift to seal a rift.
But there are these open wounds everywhere in this country.
VUYO ZUNGULA: If you look at South Africa,
VUYO ZUNGULA: there is two countries in one -
the rich and the wealthy, which are predominantly white,
the rich and the wealthy, people get to live in a country
whereby they can enjoy good quality of life,
a good access to water, sanitation, education,
whereas the Black people, which is a majority,
they are condemned into a life of poverty,
a life of crime, a life of disease.
I think the people that colonised our country,
they need to own up and there needs to be reparations.
So, you'd like to see the diamond back here?
Definitely.
So that the people that were dispossessed from that land
can actually benefit from their mineral wealth,
can actually benefit which is that diamond.
As long as we're alive
we are going to keep pushing for that.
we are going And, trust me,
with the consciousness that is rising amongst South Africans,
with the consciousness that especially the young people,
it will happen especially the young people,
it will happen sometime in our future.
What would you do with a diamond this size?
What would you do Jeez.
(ALL LAUGH)
I'll sell that for billions, my man.
(ALL LAUGH)
Well, what I would have liked (ALL LAUGH)
Well, what I would have liked to happen at the coronation
was for King Charles III to stand up with his sceptre
and be like, "Guys, I think it's time, you know,
"that we actually do a proper apology
"that we actually "and we recognise the history
"and see how we can actually "and we recognise the history
"and see how we can actually do a journey of reparations."
TIM FORSSMAN: And I think it would be a fantastic gesture to say,
TIM FORSSMAN: And I think it "OK, we in the UK,
"we've acknowledged "OK, we in the UK,
"we've acknowledged the issues surrounding this.
"Here it is. It's coming back to you."
TUMI BOPAPE: You cannot erase the pain,
but, for me, if the pain can be acknowledged, TUMI BOPAPE: You cannot erase the pain,
but, for me, if the pain can be acknowledged,
it will make a huge difference. if the pain can be acknowledged,
it will make a huge difference.
A simple, "I'm sorry. I see. Let's move forward."
(HAPPY CHATTER) Let's move forward."
(HAPPY CHATTER)
You may not change the past,
but what we are in charge of
is our today and tomorrow.
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation