getty Kate Middleton and Prince William After an intense eight-day tour of the Caribbean, Prince William and Kate Middleton return to the United Kingdom On Saturday night, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boarded the RAF VIP Voyager jet after completing their tour of the Bahamas. For her latest tour appearance, Kate wore a beltless yellow floral peplum dress by Alessandra Rich. A few hours before their flight, William published an unprecedented statement about the quarrel that the couple followed during their tour in Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. For the first time, the royal couple met with significant reactions on an official tour. Although warmly received by many locals, they also face growing tensions in the Caribbean, where William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, remains head of state. RELATED: Prince William tells Caribbean leaders: “We support your decisions about your future” Earlier in the tour and following anti-colonial protests in Jamaica and Belize, William, 39, lamented the “disgusting” history of slavery that shames the United Kingdom – though for some, it did not go far enough. really apologize. Kate and Prince William getty Kate Middleton and Prince William The protests are just the latest evidence of the historic change that is taking place: Another Caribbean country, Barbados, severed ties with the queen in November – voting for its first president – and Jamaica will soon follow suit. “I know this tour has raised questions about the past and the future even more intensely. In Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, this,” he said. the future is for the people to decide “. He continued, “Catherine and I are committed to serving. For us, this is not about telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they believe best, using the platform we are fortunate to have.” The story goes on “That’s why tours like this confirm our desire to serve the people of the Commonwealth and to listen to communities around the world. Who will choose the Commonwealth to lead their family in the future is not what I have in mind. That “What matters to us is the ability of the Commonwealth family to create a better future for the people who shape it and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.” Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend a reception hosted by the Governor General at the Baha Mar Resort on March 25, 2022 in Nassau, Bahamas. Pool / Samir Hussein / WireImage Kate Middleton and Prince William The growing tide of social and economic justice movements – including calls for reparations for slavery and the extension of indigenous rights – is rapidly reshaping contemporary views of the monarchy in a time of transition: As Elizabeth, 95, completes years on the throne, William and Kate are increasingly the modern face of both the family and the institution. Not fed up with PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Subscribe to the free Royals newsletter to receive the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! “The future of the British monarchy is more about William and Kate — spiritually, not in terms of real succession,” historian Sarah Gristwood told PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “The crown must pass to Charles and Camilla, but there is a sense that the crown also passes from the Queen to William and Kate. Carlos and Camila have a lot of life experience with each other and it is not going to change. “The future belongs to the Cambridges.”
