DUKE’S CARIBBEAN BOMBSHELL
PRINCE William has vowed to respect any move by Caribbean states to dump the monarchy.
His unprecedented statement came at the end of an eight-day tour of Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas beset by protests and PR blunders.
All three countries recognise the Queen as head of state but that may not be for long amid calls for “decolonisation” and slavery reparations.
But William told a reception in The Bahamas capital Nassau: “We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures.”
In an extraordinary soul-searching speech, the second in line to the throne accepted that the monarchy’s future will be shaped on how he and wife Kate are perceived around the world,
William said: “Foreign tours are an opportunity to reflect.
“You learn so much. What is on the minds of prime ministers, the hopes and ambitions of schoolchildren, the day-to-day challenges faced by families and communities. I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future.
“In Belize, Jamaica and
The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide.
“But we have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with communities in all three countries, understanding more about the issues that matter most to them.”
William added: “Catherine and I are committed to service. For us that’s not telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have.
“It is why tours such as this reaffirm our desire to serve the people of the Commonwealth and to listen to communities around the world.
“Who the
Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn’t what is on my mind.
What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.”
His comments come after Barbados replaced the Queen as head of state in November to elect its first president. Other Caribbean nations have already begun the process of becoming republics.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first trip to the region was described by some as “tone deaf”.
A ride in a Land Rover at a military parade was criticised for evoking a bygone
colonial past. Images of them attempting to shake hands of children through a fence were also blasted on social media – many believe unfairly.
But nearly everywhere, hundreds turned out to give a warm welcome and were full of praise for their sincerity.
On the final day yesterday William and Kate visited a church on the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas to hear how a hurricane destroyed lives in 2019.
The prince spoke of their desire to come back to the islands with their three children.
The question is whether that will be as their future king and queen.