It seems that the letter 100 Jamaicans published the very first day William and Kate arrive in Jamaica urging the British monarchy an apology for the suffering of their people due to slavery got to the Duke of Cambridge. But not enough for him to make an apology.
During a dinner hosted by Jamaica’s Governor-General, Prince William gave a speech in which he referred to the “abhorrent” history of slavery in the country, inflicted mostly by British colonizers.
William echoed remarks made by Prince Charles in November denouncing slavery, but he never issued a formal apology for his family’s historic role in the slave trade in the Caribbean.
“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,” William said.
“I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent, and it should never have happened”.
William continued saying that while the pain (of slavery) runs deep in Jamaica’s history, the country “continues to forge its future with determination, courage, and fortitude. The strength and shared sense of purpose of the Jamaican people.”
This came after a letter signed by 100 Jamaicans, amongst them politicians, scholars, artists, and activists, demanded an apology for the role the British monarchy played in slavery on the island.
The speech also resonates with the reports about Jamaica’s plans to remove the Queen as head of state and become an independent republic just like Barbados did in February 2022.
Jamaica was seized by the British Empire in 1655. In 1962, the island gained independence but stayed as a Commonwealth realm with the Queen as head of state.