Forbes Bonetta was a young Yoruba girl living in West Africa, in what was then known as the Slave Coast. After her family were slaughtered in a brutal raid by a rival tribe, she was rescued by a British naval officer and brought to live in England.

On her arrival, she was presented to Queen Victoria, who welcomed her warmly and provided generously for her upkeep and education. She became a regular visitor to the Queen and her family at their royal homes and formed a lifelong and close attachment to the royal family.

A celebrity in England and admired by many for her intelligence, social skills and musical talents, this film charts the happiness and heartbreak in this extraordinary woman’s life and examines how she became part of the changing debate about slavery, race, identity and empire.

The Lost Child will air on Saturday, 24 May at 11:10 and 23:10 as well as on Sunday, 25 May at 17:10 on BBC World News, channel 400 on DStv.