Royal family tours to Caribbean ‘should address justice’

Royal tours to the Caribbean should be scrapped unless the royal family uses them to address "truth, reconciliation and justice", a political activist has warned. Shola Mos-shogbamimu branded the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Jubilee trips to the Queen's island realms as an "embarrassment to the British monarchy".

The overseas visits were met with controversy as campaigners demanded apologies from the royal family and reparation over slavery, while numerous nations set out their intentions to become republics.

Lawyerdrmos-shogbamimu said:"ifthepurposeofthetripis what we've seen which is basidr cally a continuation of representing the legacy of the British Empire, then absolutely yes these tours should just end.

"Quite frankly these royal toursthatwe'veseentodateare an embarrassment to the British monarchy.

"However if the royal tour was onethatspeakstowhatmanyof these Afro-caribbean nations are seeking to address, which is truth,reconciliationandjustice, then you need to get on board and make them work."

During Edward and Sophie's triptosaintlucia,saintvincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda, which ended on Thursday, the earl was criticised for his response after beingpressedoverreparations.

He son gave a nervous laugh when asked to make remarks after the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda called on the Wessexes to use their "diplomatic influence" to achieve "reparatory justice", and outlined the country's wish to "one day become a republic".

The earl joked that he had not been taking notes during Gaston Browne's opening comments, so could not respond to all the points he had made.

Dr Mos-shogbamimu accusededwardof"arrogance", saying: "He's not taking notes?

What the hell is he doing there? That was his response to very sensitive issues that pertain to people of that country."

She highlighted the two years sincetheglobalblacklivesmatter movement, saying: "What I can't understand is how, in 2022, we still have a royal family that refuses to get with the programme, that is so behind thetimes.theyarelosingallrelevance."