Royals criticised for Caribbean tour
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife Katherine, have been criticised after a tour of three countries in the Caribbean.
Where did they go?
From 19 to 26 March, William and Kate visited the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica. Their tour was made on the Queen’s behalf to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years of her being on the throne. The visit was also an attempt to generate support for the Commonwealth and encourage other countries not to follow Barbados in removing the Queen as their head of state. The head of state is a country’s official leader. In monarchies this person is a king or queen; in republics it is an elected president.
What is the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth, or Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations), is a group of 54 countries, mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Queen is the head of state of 15 countries in the Commonwealth, including the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica, as well as Australia and Canada. In 2021, Barbados removed the Queen as its head of state and became a republic.
How did people respond?
Although some people welcomed the visit, others criticised the trip for being old-fashioned and disrespectful. The couple had to cancel a visit to a village in Belize, called Indian Creek, after protests from local people. Locals were unhappy about land bought by one of Prince William’s charities. In Jamaica, the country’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, told them the country was planning to become a republic. During the trip there were criticisms that it reminded people of colonialism (when the countries were ruled by the UK). In Jamaica, a group of 100 people and organisations signed an open letter to William and Kate, asking the UK to pay reparations for its involvement in the slave trade.
What are reparations?
Reparations are payments that are made from one group to another, to make up for wrongdoing in the past. (See box top right for more examples.)
What is colonialism?
Colonialism is when one country has control over another and takes its resources. Britain used to control many countries around the world in what was known as the British Empire. After occupying countries such as Barbados and Jamaica, the British Empire used enslaved people from Africa to grow sugar and sold it to the rest of the world. Between 1640 and 1807, it is estimated that Britain transported around three million African people by force to its colonies in the Caribbean and America.
How did the royals respond?
In Jamaica, William said that slavery “should never have happened”. In a statement released after the tour, William wrote, “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 upon.”