A direct descendant of Robert Clive has defended his legacy following a Labour peer’s calls for his statue outside the Foreign Office to be torn down.
James Windsor-Clive, his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, described his ancestor as a complicated character – but commendable for his contribution in expanding the British Empire.
James Windsor-Clive, his great-great-great-great-great-great grandson, described his ancestor as a complicated character
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Windsor-Clive, 35, said that it was “unfair to judge an 18th-century soldier-statesman by 21st-century morals” and suggested a debate on giving his statue in Whitehall context with a plaque, rather than removing it.
Clive’s direct descendant argued that the total removal of the statue would mean that the country would be “airbrushing our history”.
Clive was made 1st Baron Clive of Plassey in 1762 after spearheading the forces of the East India Company to victory in the Battle of Plassey over the Nawab of Bengal five years prior.
The controversial figure was held responsible for the Bengal famine, which is believed to have killed up to ten million people in the region.
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Clive’s direct descendant argued that the total removal of the statue would mean that the country would be ‘airbrushing our history’
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Baroness Debbonaire, who sits in the House of Lords after failing to secure a Commons seat last summer, called for Clive’s central London statue to be removed.
She claimed the sculpture’s depiction of “subservient Indians” was harmful to international relations.
Debbonaire also raged at the statue, designed in 1912 by John Tweed, as “a shocking piece of sculpture”.
But Winston-Clive said: “I don’t think we can airbrush our history as simply as that.
“We’ve got a proud tradition and history and heritage, and we shouldn’t be looking to hide it. I personally think that Robert Clive helped make Britain a global power.
“We shouldn’t apologise for our history, but we should learn from it and be proud of what we achieved during that period.”
Baroness Debbonaire, who sits in the House of Lords after failing to secure a Commons seat last summer, called for Clive’s central London statue to be removed
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PA
The 35-year-old Conservative campaigner added that India “wasn’t a stable political environment… They were ruled by the Mughals before the British came in.
“There were various warring sultanates, warlords, other foreign powers… the French.
“That statue was of its time, and stands as a relic of that. I wouldn’t say it’s an endorsement, but it’s kind of history in stone.
“By tearing it down, you’re tearing down a piece of British history.”
It is the second time in recent years that Clive’s statue has been at the forefront of debate.
During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, there was mounting public pressure to remove the statue in London, as well as another in Shrewsbury dedicated to him.
The Conservative Government waved these calls away at the time, and introduced a “retain and explain” policy when it came to colonial figures being commemorated in public spaces.
Winston-Clive said: “We can’t apologise for that part of our history, but we should learn from it and be proud of what the country achieved.”