Prince William And Kate Middleton Return From Week Long Caribbean Tour

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William And Kate Middleton, left for an eight-day tour to Belize, the Bahamas, and Jamaica on behalf of Queen Elizabeth in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee. They began their week-long tour of the former British colonies in the Caribbean on Saturday the 19^th of March, and they returned to London last Saturday night on the 26^th of March. Many news outlets are calling this trip controversial, so read on to find out why exactly that is.

It seems that this eight-day trip has been “overshadowed by controversy due to the UK’s historic links with slavery”. Officially, the trip was planned to commemorate the platinum jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating the 70 years on the throne this year. Many believe that this particular trip was intended to persuade the three countries, Belize, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, to keep the Queen as their head of state; there are “concerns” that the aforementioned countries will follow Barbados, the Caribbean Island that removed the Queen as head of state and became a republic in November 2021.

According to National World, “The royal tour has raised questions about the legacy of Britain in the Caribbean and the region’s colonial past. Much of the island did not gain independence until the 1960s and later, and some believe that keeping the Queen as head of state undermines this independence.”

During the visit to the first destination in Belize, Prince William And Kate Middleton were forced to change plans, which was a tour of the cacao farm in the Maya Mountains, due to the anger of local people who said they were never consulted on the visit and staged a protest in response.

Upon arrival in Jamaica, the couple were faced with “100 Jamaican academics, politicians, and cultural figures [who] signed an open letter calling for the royal family and British government to apologise and pay reparations for subjecting the island to colonial rule and slavery”.

Addressing Prince William, the letter read: “We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension of your grandmother to the British throne because her leadership, and that of her predecessors, have perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind. You, who may one day lead the British Monarchy. You therefore have the unique opportunity to redefine the relationship between the British Monarchy and the people of Jamaica. If you choose to do so, we urge you to start with an apology and recognition of the need for atonement and reparations.”

Prince Williams addressed the slave trade in the past during his speech, “but stopped short giving an apology”. He called slavery “abhorrent” and that “it should never have happened”, as well as describing the slave trade as an “appalling atrocity” that “stains our history”.

It was later reported by The Independent through an exclusive report, that the Jamaican government had begun the steps of transitioning the island nation to a republic.