Prince William Calls 'Appalling Atrocity' of the Slave Trade a 'Stain on our History' in Jamaica

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are currently in Jamaica as part of a Caribbean goodwill tour at the behest of Queen Elizabeth II, have had to face a less-than-welcoming reception both in Kingston and in Belize amid calls for reparations and apologies over the legacy of slavery.

Prince William voiced his “profound sorrow” over Britain's historic role in the slave trade, referring to it as an “abhorrent stain on our history” during a speech in Jamaica.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had arrived on Tuesday as part of their tour of former British Caribbean colonies - from 19 March to 26 March - in celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica Patrick Allen and his wife Patricia on the fifth day of her tour of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, March 23, 2022.

© REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE

Prince William, the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and second in the line of succession to the British throne, was speaking at a dinner held by the governor general, Sir Patrick Allen.

Drawing on remarks made by his father, the Prince of Wales, he said:

“I strongly agree with my father, The Prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history. I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened. While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude.”

Barbados, former British colony, was declared a republic in 2021, retiring Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

Britain's Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, pose for a picture with Governor General of Jamaica Patrick Allen and his wife Patricia on the fifth day of their tour of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, March 23, 2022.

© REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE

Prince William added at the reception:

“Anniversaries are also a moment for reflection, particularly this week with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.”

Upon their arrival in Jamaica, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by the Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and his wife Lady Allen, the Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet, Matthew , the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Holding, as well as the Foreign Minister and Chief Justices.

However, amid the glamour of the event, Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, told the visiting royals that his country, dealing with “unresolved” issues, was “moving on”, intending to “become an “independent, developed and prosperous” republic.

“Jamaica is a very free and liberal country and the people are very expressive —and I’m certain that you would have seen the spectrum of expressions yesterday,” said Holness at his residence in Kingston.

He was referring to the hundreds of protesters gathered outside the British High Commission in the capital Kingston, urging the monarchy to pay reparations for its role in the Transatlantic slave trade.

Furthermore, an open letter, that reads, “We will not participate in your Platinum Jubilee celebration!” had been signed by over a hundred prominent Jamaicans.

It accused British royals of perpetrating “the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind,” offering a 60-point breakdown of reasons why “apology and reparations” are warranted.

Against the backdrop of such sentiments, the PM stated:

“… Jamaica is, as you would see, is a country that is proud of its history and very proud of what we have achieved. And we’re moving on and we intend to… fulfill our true ambitions and destiny to become an independent, developed and prosperous country,” said the PM.

Holness later tweeted that he had outlined Jamaica’s intention to move towards removing the Queen as head of state, saying:

“I expressed to the Duke, that in this regard, it is inevitable that we will move towards becoming a republic in fulfillment of the will of the people of Jamaica.”

When he first took office in 2016, Holness vowed to cut ties with the monarchy and turn Jamaica into a republic, saying his government would introduce a bill to replace the Queen as head of state.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, listen as Britain's Prince William delivers a speech during a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica Patrick Allen and his wife Patricia on the fifth day of his tour of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, March 23, 2022.

© REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE

The Caribbean island nation of Barbados became a republic in November 2021 on the 55th anniversary of its independence, retiring Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and shedding its colonial history, with sources cited by the Independent revealing that Jamaica had already begun a similar process.

A senior figure in the government had purportedly been tasked with overseeing the nation's transition to republic status.

Earlier on in their tour, the couple’s visit to Belize was similarly marred by demonstrations, with a visit to a cacao farm scrapped after local residents voiced protest over the royal family’s colonial ties.

With the couple next heading to the Bahamas, the Bahamian National Reparations Committee is calling on the British Royal Family to issue “a full and formal apology for their crimes against humanity.”

“…Once William and Kate have passed over the newly paved roads, driven by the freshly painted wall, and waved to the schoolchildren who have been pulled out of their classes to stand and watch them go by, what will the Bahamian people be left with?” asks the organization in a letter.

It stated that that Bahamians “do not owe (the Royal Family) a debt of gratitude,” adding, “the monarchy has looted and pillaged our land, our people for centuries, leaving us struggling with under-development, left to pick up the pieces.”

Kensington Palace is yet to publicly address any of the protesters’ concerns.