William had even come prepared, inviting a Jamaican-born Caribbean specialist, Major David Clark, to accompany him on the week-long trip. However, by the end of this weekend, the tour had been condemned by some – including the BBC – as not merely poorly organized but as “deaf”. Things started to unfold even before we boarded the outgoing Royal flight at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Members of a small indigenous community in Belize complained that they had not been consulted about the visit and did not want the Royal helicopter to land on their football pitch. Jamming: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge play drums during a visit to the Trench Town Museum, former home of Bob Marley A vocal protest ensued, forcing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to cancel a planned trip to Indian Creek Village and choose another location. At normal times, there is a sense of effectiveness on a Royal tour. But this trip was already tainted by uncertainty. Official updates were delayed amid rumors that the program was proving difficult to complete. On Tuesday we saw a significantly larger protest outside the British High Commission in Jamaica, as a group called on the Cambridges to “apologize” for the role the British Empire had played in slavery. Protests are nothing new on Royal tours. They have been going on for decades. Today, however, there is increased sensitivity. Last year the Barbados overthrew the queen by the head of state. Now Jamaica’s current Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he wants a referendum on democracy. On Tuesday we saw a large protest outside the British High Commission in Jamaica, as a group called on the Cambridges to apologize for the role the British Empire had played in slavery. Protests are nothing new on Royal tours. They have been going on for decades. Today, however, there is increased sensitivity. (Above, a protest outside the British High Commission in Jamaica this week) When they came to meet Mr. Holnes, William and Kate stood up as if they had been invited to the director’s office, and he told them that his country was “advancing” from the British Monarchy. In their honor, they smiled and continued working. Things would get worse. The couple arrived in Trench Town, a suburb of Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, to thousands of well-wishers. But images of Cambridge reaching through a wire fence to shake hands with poor children seemed to smell like a long-lost past. Regardless of the fact that the Jamaican-born English footballer Rahim Sterling had done the same just before the arrival of the Royals. It was clear from being on the ground that Trench Town had really welcomed them with open arms. But it looked bad. Keyboard warriors on social media did not want to put it in context. And the damage was done. The couple arrived in Trench Town, a suburb of Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, to thousands of well-wishers. But the images of Cambridge reaching through a wire fence to shake hands with poor children seemed to smell like a long-lost past. Last year the Barbados overthrew the queen by the head of state. Now Jamaica’s current Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he wants a referendum on democracy. When they came to meet Mr. Holnes (left), William and Kate stood up as if they had been called to the director’s office and told that his country was “advancing” from the British monarchy. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travel in an open Land Rover to Kingston, Jamaica, for the inaugural service parade on the sixth day of their Caribbean tour on behalf of the Queen The BBC’s royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond, said the tour was “disorganized” with “poor planning and poor execution”. He later referred to the photographs as a “defeat in the jaws of victory” and wrote in an online article: greeted the couple in downtown Kingston. “But instead, what seemed to many to be a kind of parody of a white savior, with Kate and William fleeing in contact with the outstretched fingers of the Jamaican children, pushing through a wire fence. It was a bad mistake for a couple who are surprisingly knowledgeable in the media. Harry and Megan cheerleader Omid Scobie (above) added to the pressure on Twitter, saying: “This tour was an opportunity to try to show that the Monarchy can be modernized. unknown points of travel have encountered ‘ Harry and Meghan cheerleader Omid Scobie added to the pressure on Twitter, saying: “This tour was an opportunity to try to show that the Monarchy can be modernized. of travel have encountered. ‘ The Duke of Cambridge did what he could. On their last night in Jamaica, William used a speech to express his “deep regret” about slavery, condemning it as “hateful.” He was received with a polite but silent applause. But to those who demanded compensation, including some in public, it did not go far enough. The skies opened as the royal couple made a sailing trip on Friday and, returning to port, looked like drowned rats – probably an accurate picture of how they felt. But William reacted once again, modifying his speech Friday night in the Bahamas to include the lines: “We proudly support and respect your decisions about your future. Relationships are evolving. “Friendship endures.” Then, last night, came his dramatic statement about the future of the Commonwealth. The Cambridges certainly made the occasional mistake. Was it wise to bring a relatively inexperienced backroom group on this tour? At one point, William’s press team announced that they wanted to see the Duke, as well as the Duchess, in the headlines – something that, for some, brought back memories of Prince Charles’s jealousy of Diana. This time, however, the request is said to have been more of an attempt to remove some pressure from Kate. And that’s true because there was an impressive constant in it all – the way Kate and William worked together as a team. So often we saw tender looks or reassuring touches. Just one look from Kate to Belize was enough to convince William that he had to get up and dance. Last week he stressed how much the Cambridge have evolved into their role. As Kate said, speaking to students from the Bahamas: “You have a wonderful proverb in your country. “When the moon is not full, the stars shine brighter.” But this tour also showed that the problems faced by Windsors are deep and far-reaching. They have a huge project ahead of them.
Everything the Queen loves
By GEORGIA EDKINS for Mail on Sunday
It is an institution that includes everything the Queen loves – the proximity of allies and a shared experience that bridges continents and cultures.
During her 70 years on the throne, His Majesty has seen nations unite to promote peace, human rights, democracy and common values.
So it would no doubt be with deep personal grief that he felt compelled to retire from the Commonwealth Office at Westminster Abbey this month.
The international organization, born in its current form in 1949 under her father, King George VI, was created to keep countries united after decolonization in the aftermath of World War II.
With 53 member states, the Commonwealth has more than 2.4 billion people and covers more than 11.5 million square miles of the planet’s surface.
But while many countries have prospered in the Commonwealth, others have left, some have their own heads of state instead of the British Monarchy.
Of course, he has been embroiled in controversy from time to time, mainly because he was born of – and based on – the British Empire.
Specifically, under the supervision of Queen Elizabeth II, Guyana in 1970, Trinidad and Tobago in 76, Dominica in 78 and Mauritius in 92, removed her as head of state. In 2020, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged that the Commonwealth must acknowledge its “uncomfortable” past to “correct” mistakes.
In November 2021, the Barbados chose to sever ties with the British Monarchy. Despite the rejection of her leadership, the queen sent her “warmest wishes” to the country.
Following the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s tour of the Caribbean, the future of the Commonwealth and its legacy may be shrouded in doubt.
However, the Queen’s commitment to this remains clear.
