Reparations, apology sought ahead of royal visit

Dozens of well-known leaders in Jamaica including professors and politicians are demanding an apology and slavery reparations as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prepare for a trip to the former British colony.

The group is rejecting this week’s visit by Prince William and Kate, part of a larger trip to the Caribbean region that coincides with the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence and the 70th anniversary of the coronation of the Queen.

“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,” read a letter published at the weekend and signed by 100 Jamaican leaders.

The week-long royal tour of Central America and the Caribbean was taken at the behest of the Queen.

The trip aims to strengthen Britain’s ties with Commonwealth countries, but it comes as some countries consider cutting ties to the monarchy, like the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados did in November.

Local opposition forced the royal couple to cancel a visit to a cacao farm in Belize, while the upcoming trip to Jamaica has angered some who say they are still waiting for an apology and slavery reparations.

Jamaican lawmaker Mike Henry, who has long led an effort to obtain reparations that he estimates at more than £7 billion ($13.4b), said an apology was only the first step for what he described as “abuse of human life and labour”.

Hundreds of thousands of African slaves toiled in Jamaica under more than 300 years of British rule and faced brutal conditions.

There were numerous bloody rebellions, with one woman called “Queen Nanny” leading a group of formerly enslaved Africans known as Jamaican Maroons whose guerrilla warfare became renown and battered British forces.

During their two-day stay in Jamaica, Prince William and Kate are expected to celebrate Bob Marley’s legacy, a move that also has riled some Jamaicans.

“As a Rastafarian, Bob Marley embodied advocacy and is recognised globally for the principles of human rights, equality, reparations and repatriation,” stated the letter demanding an apology.