A group of first generation Chagossians has appealed directly to King Charles III to keep the Chagos Archipelago under British sovereignty.
In a strongly worded open letter, the signatories said they remain committed to the Crown and want their homeland to stay British. They wrote: “The Chagos Islands are our home. We are British subjects and British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) citizens.”
They continued: “Despite the injustice we have suffered, and the manner in which successive governments have treated us, our enduring desire is to remain British subjects under Your Majesty, and for our homeland to remain under the sovereignty of the Crown.”
The appeal comes at a critical moment, as the UK Government under Keir Starmer has been attempting to progress a deal to transfer the islands to Mauritius. The proposed agreement has been delayed not only due to uncertainty from Donald Trump over the future of the joint UK US military base on Diego Garcia, but also because of sustained opposition from campaigners and a series of legal challenges.
Groups including Great British PAC have played a prominent role in resisting the deal, organising court action and lobbying efforts that have slowed its progress.
A spokesperson for the Great British PAC, said: “This deal was never just a diplomatic exercise, it was a test of whether Britain would once again ignore the very people whose lives are most affected. The Chagossians have fought for decades to be heard, and we will not stand by while their rights are negotiated away behind closed doors.”
For many Chagossians, the prospect of a handover raises fears of being excluded once again from decisions about their homeland. Referring to their expulsion in the 1960s, the signatories said: “This was against our will. Yet today, history risks repeating itself.
“Our right to self-determination continues to be denied, and we face the prospect of further exclusion from decisions about our homeland.”
Misley Mandarin, currently on the islands, reinforced those concerns. He said: “We are still here, we still belong to these islands, and we are determined that our future will not be decided without us. The world must recognise that Chagossians are not a footnote in history, we are a living people with a rightful claim to our home.”
The letter places particular emphasis on the identity and rights of Chagossians, arguing that their voices have been overlooked in negotiations. It calls for their role in shaping the future of the islands to be recognised, adding: “We respectfully ask that the voice, rights, and identity of our fellow Chagossian people are recognised and given due consideration in all matters concerning the future of our homeland.”
The group also highlighted the environmental importance of the archipelago, pointing to its relatively untouched ecosystems. “The Chagos Archipelago, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, is home to one of the world’s most precious environmental ecosystems,” the letter states, adding that its marine life has been shielded “from the ravages of commercial exploitation”.
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814, but their modern history has been shaped by displacement. Entire communities were removed decades ago to make way for the military facility on Diego Garcia, leaving lasting grievances among those affected.
The signatories, all first generation Chagossians, stressed that the legacy of that removal remains unresolved. They also pointed to recent legal and international developments, including a ruling restoring their right of abode and a petition to the United Nations raising concerns about potential human rights breaches linked to the proposed deal.
“We are engaging with leaders and advocates in ecological, marine, and environmental stewardship to develop a path toward a more secure, environmentally responsible, and ethical future for the Chagos Archipelago,” they wrote.
Despite the direct appeal, Buckingham Palace is not expected to intervene. Under constitutional convention, the monarch does not take part in political decision making, leaving the matter in the hands of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mauritius has continued to press its claim over the islands. Its foreign minister, Dhananjay Ramful, recently said: “We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process. This is a matter of justice.”
Claire Bullivant, chief executive of Great British PAC, said: “Mauritius calling this decolonisation is frankly absurd. Do they even listen to themselves? They talk about decolonisation while denying the Chagossians the very thing that matters most, self-determination. It’s bizarre.
“Look at the facts. Mauritius has no valid claim to the islands and no credible plan for how they would be protected, managed, or how Chagossians would be properly resettled. Yet they are making promises they cannot afford to keep.
“Under Mauritius people are rightly worried the islands would be opened up to commercial exploitation, with little regard for environmental consequences. That would risk turning one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet into an ecological disaster.
Bullivant continued:
“This is not about handing the islands from one country to another. It is about the people who actually come from there. They have found their voice, they have organised, and they must not be ignored.
“The Chagossians deserve self-determination, full stop. They overwhelmingly want to remain British.
“If this deal goes ahead without their clear consent, it will not be decolonisation, it will be a betrayal. In 2026, no government should be attempting to decide the future of a people without them.
“It is extraordinary that politicians like Keir Starmer and those in Mauritius still think they can do this to a people.”
With time now run out in the current parliamentary calendar to ratify the deal, and political and legal pressure mounting, the future of the Chagos Archipelago remains uncertain. For the Chagossian signatories, however, the message to the King is clear: they want recognition, inclusion, and the right to determine the fate of the place they still call home.
The Chagossian Letter In Full:
26th April 2026
His Majesty The King
Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA
Your Majesty,
We write to you as your loyal subjects at a time of great importance in our history and that of your Realm. We do so with courtesy, humility, and urgency.
We ask that you consider our petition with grace and grant us the dignity and justice that so many have chosen not to aord us.
Firstly, we want to grant you our best wishes for your State Visit to the United States of America and Bermuda this week. That you are visiting Bermuda and championing the importance of biodiversity and environmental protection in a British Overseas Territory is of paramount importance and is very close to our hearts.
The Chagos Archipelago, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, is home to one of the world’s most precious environmental ecosystems. Its rich and unspoiled marine life has, under British jurisdiction, been preserved from the ravages of commercial exploitation that have threatened so much of the planet’s environment.
The Chagos Islands are our home. We are British subjects and British Indian Ocean Territory citizens. Despite the injustice we have suered, and the manner in which successive governments have treated us, our enduring desire is to remain British subjects under Your Majesty, and for our homeland to remain under the sovereignty of the Crown.
We recognise the strategic importance of the UK/US military base on Diego Garcia, and the role it plays in regional and global security, as well as in protecting the archipelago from illegal exploitation, pollution, and destabilising activity. We have always been, and will remain, supportive of the presence and operations of this vital base.
All of us are first-generation Chagossians. We were forcibly removed from our homeland in the 1960s. Our homes were taken, our belongings seized, and even our pets were killed. Those who resisted were threatened. We had no choice and no voice in the matter.
This was against our will. Yet today, history risks repeating itself. Our right to self-determination continues to be denied, and we face the prospect of further exclusion from decisions about our homeland. We believe there is a responsibility to address the injustice of the past, to protect the islands, and to establish a sustainable future in which we play a meaningful role.
As your loyal Chagossian subjects, our appeal is that we be entrusted as faithful stewards of our homeland. Amid recent media attention, we wish to draw Your Majesty’s attention to two significant developments:
i) On 31st March 2026, the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory overturned the 2004 Constitution Order which had removed our right of abode. In doing so, the Court restored this fundamental right.
ii) A petition has been submitted to United Nations Special Rapporteurs, including those on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, minority issues, internally displaced persons, and racial discrimination. This petition raises urgent concerns regarding the treatment of Chagossians and the risk of further displacement.
We are engaging with leaders and advocates in ecological, marine, and environmental stewardship to develop a path toward a more secure, environmentally responsible, and ethical future for the Chagos Archipelago.
We respectfully ask that the voice, rights, and identity of our fellow Chagossian people are recognised and given due consideration in all matters concerning the future of our homeland.
At this grave and significant moment in our history, we remain dependant in prayer that what is according to the will of our Almighty God prevails.
We remain loyal to the Crown, and are hopeful that justice, dignity, and a rightful place in our homeland may one day be restored.
We have the honour to remain, Sir, your faithful and devoted subjects.
Regnaud Claire Louis Aglae Roseline Marie Paris Rosemarie Desire Elysé Andréa
Marie Therese Piron
Marie Rosette Immouche Casimir Joseph
Marie Sylvette Grondin Fouster Louis
Meryam Soreya Dada Jean-François Lelio
Marie Stacy Gaëlle Gum Victorien Louis Noelville Mungul Jean Kelvin
Carla Menezes
David Murielle
Hypocrite Marie Paquwrette Gaetan Letendrie
Louis Nelsir Mandarin Marieange Modliar
Marina Gracieuse Laboudeuse Marie Ivy Rosita Marie
Samuel Lacharmante Madeline Laurique Jean-Francois Lelio
Elyse Andrea Marie-Claire
Medgie Mandarin Laurence Esaïe Claudinette Lemmettre Louis Roland Alexis Marie Ange Mylene Colin Jose Tigresse
Avraham Ono Alias (Andre Steeve)
Arlette Jhureea
Louis Luc Jaimie
Desire Teddy
Louis Armel Jacque Rosemarie Desire
Algae Patrice Michael
Marie Immouche
Arnassalom Nyavana Dickson Marie Jeanesta
Marie Adeline Jaar
Mery Ivette Louis
Jennifer Prodigue
Angela Mary Jane Nadia Baptiste Louis Johandy Tressy Simon Gaetan Michel Latour
Gladys Rabouine
Roger Velloo
Laval William Tiatouche Christophe Thomas Wilhelmine Latour
Menes Louis Allet
Mandarin Marie Elvanire Winsley Francois
Louis Allet Menes
Christiane Lemaitre
Marie Jacqueline Aristide Desire José Moïse
Marie Priceli Anabella Tatiana Casimir
Marie Cherry
Annick André
Jean Hansley Flore
Roger Velloo
Myrielle Tigresse
Marie Yana Tigresse Christiane Lemaitre Mandarin
Victorien Noel Ville Desire Teddy
Avraham Ono
Rachelle Imelda Baptiste Jenny Marday
Marie Ketchia Myrtle Dursoniah Jennifer Vivienne Soleil
Raphaël Bontemps
Marie Pierre Louis
Lise Rotzetter
Rosemarie Emilien
Jean François Jean Claude Marie Louis Vivian
Elyse Joseph Macdonald Elyse Antoine Serge Paris Roseline Marie Briche Jocelyne
Ono Jean Jiovani
Clancy Immouche
Marie Philine Volfrin
Marie Bernadette Atcheemoonien Louis Herve Bertrand
Cherry Jean Eddy Mandarin Christian Joseph Macdonald Elyse Louis Michel Mandarin
Louis Leonel Latouche
Muryelle Tigresse Marie Ginette Volfrin Marie Scella Velloo Marie Felicie Velloo Desire Teddy Rosemarie Desire Menes Marie Ciline
