Queen Elizabeth.Photo: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty
Prince WilliamandKate Middleton’s royal tour of the Caribbean in celebration ofQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee continues to encounter resistance as a movement to remove the monarch as head of state of Jamaica is reportedly gaining traction.
According toThe Independent, “a coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians” are pressing for the country to formally sever ties with the monarchy and change the country’s status from a constitutional monarchy to a republic. The coalition has also sent an open letter toPrince WilliamandKate Middleton, who landed in Jamaica Tuesday afternoon.
Ahead of the island nation’s 60th year of independence from Great Britain on Aug. 6, campaigners are intent on “removing the shackles of [Jamaica’s] colonial past,” according to the report, with many in the country demanding both financial reparations and a formal apology from the monarchy.
Kate Middleton and Prince William depart from Belize.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Protests in Jamaica on March 22, 2022 as Prince William and Kate Middleton tour the Caribbean.RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images
On Saturday, Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange addressed the Reparations Council, asking the governmental advisory body to “continue to work impatiently for justice for the atrocities committed against our ancestors, and those which flow from this history and persist against our people today.” She urged them to “step up the pace” on the separation, noting that the time for “talk” was over and now “action” would be required, according to Tuesday’s report inThe Independent.
Despite the momentum for the move, the paper also reported that “some resistance from within the Jamaican Government” toward severing the relationship with the royals, noting that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was appointed as a sovereign advisor in the Queen’s Privy Council.
Prince William and Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The royals are set to depart Jamaica and head to the Bahamas on Thursday.
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“From the darkest days of our past, and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history, the people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude,” Charles, 73, said in at the event.
He continued, “Emancipation, self-government and independence were your way-points. Freedom, justice and self-determination have been your guides. Your long journey has brought you to this moment, not as your destination, but as a vantage point from which to survey a new horizon.”
Prince Charles delivers a speech near Barbados' new President Sandra Mason.Shutterstock
In a letter sent to Barbadian President Sandra Mason, who is now head of state, the 95-year-old monarch congratulated both Mason and Barbados on their new status, emphasizing the two countries' “common values, shared prosperity, and close collaboration on a wide range of issues.”
Signing the letter “Elizabeth R,” the Queen ended her note with “warmest wishes,” writing, “As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future.”
source: people.com
