The Queen's empire Photograph of the ceremony which formally
incorporated the Ewi of Ado’s kingdom in the British Lagos
Protectorate, from: The Queen’s Empire: a pictorial and
descriptive record: illustrated from photographs. London:
Cassell and Company, 1897-99 [FCO Historical Collection DA11
QUEThis pictorial work commemorating Queen Victoria’s diamond
jubilee was meant to ‘illustrate the distinctive features of the
life of Her subjects in all parts of the British Empire’, to
show the ‘difference’ as well as the ‘resemblance’ of the
various communities within the Empire and to demonstrate ‘the
work which Britain is doing throughout the world - the work of
civilising, of governing, of protecting life and property and of
extending the benefits of trade and commerce’, of which ‘every
British subject has the right to be proud.’ The photograph shows
the ceremony, which formally incorporated the Ewi of Ado’s
kingdom in the British Lagos Protectorate. Ado was one of
several Yoruba kingdoms situated in what is now