The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been accused of profiting from the “blood, tears and sweat” of slaves as they arrived in Jamaica to meet a protest demanding reparations from the British monarchy.
William and Kate will celebrate the culture and history of the island, which in recent years has seen calls from politicians to ditch the Queen as head of state and become a republic, as well as a formal recognition of slavery.
Anti-colonial sentiment has risen across the Caribbean against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has inspired many around the world to stand up for equality.
Protesters gathered outside the British High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica, with a placard held by a little girl that read: “Kings, queens, princesses and princes belong in fairy tales, not in Jamaica!”
A royal source said the duke is aware of the protests and expects to acknowledge the slavery issue in a speech Wednesday night during a dinner hosted by Jamaica’s governor-general.
Opal Adisa, a Jamaican human rights defender who helped organize the demonstration, also demanded an apology, saying: “Kate and William are beneficiaries, so they are actually complicit because they are able to specifically benefit from our ancestors and us do not benefit from our ancestors.
“The luxury and lifestyle they have had and continue to have, traveling around the world for free and at no cost, is the result of my great-great-grandmother and great-grandfather, their blood and their tears and their sweat.”
The Advocates Network coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians wrote an open letter with 60 reasons why the monarchy should compensate Jamaica on the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence.
Adisa said an apology is the “first step towards healing and reconciliation”.
She added: “You know, we personally have nothing against Kate and Prince William and even the Queen, but we’re just saying you did wrong and it’s long overdue for you to admit that you did wrong and if you do, make it up to you.”
Contrasting the angry scenes, the couple posted videos on social media of themselves diving among sharks in the waters off Belize after a private invitation from the country’s government to view conservation work aimed at preserving the world’s second largest barrier reef.
The footage was released hours before the couple’s arrival in Jamaica, where opposition leader Mark Golding reportedly intends to tell royals that many Jamaicans want an apology from the monarchy for their role in transporting people from Africa to the Caribbean.
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Stepping off the Voyager Ministerial jet, the couple received an official but warm welcome in Jamaica, but it was the blustery conditions that prompted the Duchess to cling to her flowing dress in case a gust whipped it up.
As the Duke received the salute from an honor guard formed by troops from the Jamaica Defense Force, the Duchess stood nearby under a tent shaking in the wind as she clutched the hem of her yellow Roxsana maxi dress.
She laughed with a dignitary standing next to her as she struggled with conditions before her trip to Trench Town, the Kingston neighborhood where reggae great Bob Marley grew up.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive at Norman Manley Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesThe royal couple have been the subject of protests in Belize, the first stop on their Caribbean tour, with opposition to a royal tour of a chocolate farm, forcing the event’s cancellation and hasty organization elsewhere.
Golding has been invited to a royal event in his constituency of St Andrew South and the Governors-General’s Dinner where William will deliver his speech.
He told Gleaner, a national Jamaican newspaper, “I would hope that during the events that I will be attending I will have the opportunity to have that dialogue with them and to make them aware in a polite and respectful way that this is the view of many Jamaicans.”
The leader of the People’s National Party added: “And I think it would be helpful for both the royal family and Jamaica if they consider this as a means of moving forward into a new future.”
The Prince of Wales addressed the “appalling atrocity of slavery” and described it as something “that forever stains our history” while attending the ceremony last November that marked Barbados’ historic transition to a republic.
For centuries the royal family was involved in transporting and selling people for profit, with Elizabeth I being involved in the lucrative dealings of John Hawkins, one of Britain’s first slave traders in the 16th century.
When his first adventure was successful and his ships returned laden with goods, she supported his future expeditions by providing ships to carry the human cargo.
The links between the royal family and slavery continued with Charles II, who encouraged the expansion of the slave trade.
He chartered a group of men, the Royal Adventurers, which later became the Royal African Company, and the monarch and Duke of York invested their private funds in the company.