Desk Report
Publish: 27 Mar 2022, 05:37 pm
Duke of Cambridge Prince William with Dutchess of Cambridge Catherine Elizabeth Middleton || Photo: Collected
Prince
William ended a turbulent tour of the Caribbean by starkly admitting this weekend
that the region's former British colonies must decide whether to scrap the
monarchy's role in their countries.
The
39-year-old Duke of Cambridge also hinted that a British royal may in the future no
longer head the club of 54 Commonwealth countries as the political association
of ex-colonies evolves.
The
unusually candid comments, which were splashed on the front of several British
newspapers Sunday, followed a rocky three-country Caribbean tour over the last
week which drew both protests and criticism.
William
and his wife Catherine, 40, faced calls to apologise for the slave trade that
helped make past British royals' fortunes, and accusations of appearing
"tone deaf" over elements of the visit.
They
were also forced to confront the issue of former colonies considering whether
to follow Barbados' lead and ditch the queen as their head of state.
Barbados
formally declared itself a republic in November. Belize, Jamaica and The
Bahamas -- all stops on the royal tour -- are each said to be mulling such a
move.
Jamaican
Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointedly told William in front of television
cameras that the nation was "moving on" as an independent country.
"I
know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the
past and the future," the Duke of Cambridge said in an end-of-tour statement
Saturday.
"In
Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon."
William
added he and his wife "are committed to service" and that meant
"not telling people what to do" but instead "serving and
supporting them".
-
'On my mind' -
The
Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 mainly former British colonies, is headed by
Queen Elizabeth II.
In
2018, its leaders formally announced that her son and heir Prince Charles would
inherit the role when he becomes king.
But
William, second-in-line to the throne, said that "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," he added.
The
couple's Caribbean trip was intended to help Commonwealth countries where his
95-year-old grandmother is also head of state celebrate her record-breaking 70
years on the throne.
But
what were designed to be carefully choreographed photocalls and public appearances
for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee did not go entirely to plan.
In
Belize, they angered some locals after failing to consult on parts of their
itinerary, while they then prompted placard-bearing protests in Jamaica.
Demonstrators
demanded the monarchy pay reparations and apologize for its role in the slave
trade that brought hundreds of thousands of Africans to the island to toil
under inhumane conditions.
Meanwhile,
some of the optics of the tour drew criticism for evoking colonial rule,
including the couple greeting kids through metal chain-link fences and William
parading in an open-topped jeep in military uniform.
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