The royal couple and his team may have left the Caribbean thinking otherwise. These are photos that led to their visit being described as a disaster and being heard. Images that recreated moments that in the past were classic photography opportunities, that now feel old-fashioned, even colonial. At the end of the seven days, we feel like we are in a new era for royal tours. It was an awakening that the vision of the past no longer works and there is no going back. As a result, Prince William appears more focused than ever and wants to show us how he intends to become a future king. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:39 William: We respect your decisions The protests did not tell the whole story of this “catastrophic tour” You were there? Did you see it yourself? Did you feel the mood of all this? These are questions that I think should have been asked more this week as people around the world are flocking to social media. Everyone has a right to their opinion and the palace can not completely ignore international perceptions, especially when they are as noisy as they were for this tour. But sometimes I felt that the anger from London and New York was more attracted to the emotions of the people I actually met in Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Again and again, the answer I got in all three countries was “emotions are mixed here”. Yes, there were protests – but also cheers from the crowd. The titles of the “catastrophic tour” became the narrative, when in fact it was considered a success for the host countries that despaired for the spotlight that the couple can bring. Speaking to some of their advisers, they now acknowledge that they should have been more vigilant about the possible reaction that may come from certain parts of the trip. Picture: Duchess of Cambridge talking to a child during a visit to a Fish Fry in Abaco Someone told me that the schedule of any tour, what they do and who they meet, is not dictated and organized only by the palace. Host countries want kings to do certain things. In Jamaica, one of those moments was the couple riding on the back of the same Land Rover with the Queen. There have been questions, even from William, about whether he seemed right, and his advisers admit in retrospect that they probably should have pushed him away. Read more: William and Kate looked alike as crowds greeted them at the reggae house Take it from me, the palace team is over-aware of us, the media, who are probably taking “bad” pictures of them, but they also stumbled upon the makeshift walk on the side of the football field in Trench Town. The pictures of William and Kate shaking hands through the fence jumped over those who wanted to present the whole trip as a failure. They do not look good – but they do not tell the whole story individually, as you may have seen from the endless junk on social media. Crowds of this size, even in the UK, would not have been allowed to get closer to the football pitch, and people were excited to see such a famous couple, regardless of being royal. Image: These photos in Trench Town, Jamaica were criticized as “wrong” – but the crowds were large and excited William and Kate should not be more averse to danger I think it is also worth saying that the negative narration was not actually the result of huge blunders, therefore, the couple did what they were asked to do. In the Bahamas, I was in a boat watching William and Kate go sailing. They are good sports and that is why people warm them up. It would be a shame and it would not be helpful for them to avoid further danger as a result of this tour. The last thing they need is for events to become more sterile, especially when their time in the Caribbean, and especially in Jamaica, has marked the need to look at a new kind of relationship. And for that, they must remain relatives. Picture: The locals welcomed the couple’s down-to-earth nature Because William wanted to show that he was listening This is the first major tour since the Black Lives Matter protests, accusations of racism in the Royal Family and anti-slavery protests and calls for compensation – all creating a complex and diplomatically challenging setting. William stopped apologizing for the slavery, which angered some of those I spoke to, but again it was also more discreet than some have said. Others wanted to tell me that they would never forget how they treated their ancestors, but slavery has happened in the past and there are other issues that need focus. In his parting remarks at the end of the tour, William apparently wanted to convey the meaning he was hearing, both to those on the ground and possibly to some press critics. His speech on Thursday night changed late in the afternoon to toughen and clarify his position on the spheres that cut ties with the royals, probably influenced by his talks with the three prime ministers. His team also sat down with him to talk about his thoughts on the tour and the message he wanted to send us at the end of the trip, as well as possibly addressing the negative press. People close to him say that the mantra “never complain, never explain” is not his style – or how he wants to deal with it. If he was referring to claims that the tour had failed, he was discreet, but in his remarks you feel like a man who wants his voice to be heard. saying that he does not mind if he is not head of the Commonwealth in the future was unexpected. Image: The couple is used to bruising the headlines There was not a moment on the tour that would lead him to that conclusion, but I was told that the last week has brought the issues taking place in the Commonwealth spheres to a more intense focus. It was their first big tour in more than two years and the stakes were high. Most of the group around them had never toured before, so it was a very public way to learn and make mistakes. But they have very experienced bosses in William and Kate, a couple who tend to bruise the headlines. William’s last thoughts made it clear that despite the criticism, he would not deter them. “Foreign tours are an opportunity for reflection. You learn so much,” he said. This statement could never have been truer, now is the time for them and their team to reorganize and rethink.
