Through a letter signed by 100 activists, scholars, politicians, business leaders, and public figures, a group of Jamaicans ask William and Kate, as well as the British Monarchy to issue an apology for colonialism that has deeply affected the development of the country.
The group, called Advocates Network, asks William and Kate to atone for colonialism during his Caribbean tour to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee which includes visits to countries like Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, all former British colonies.
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“We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension of your grandmother to the British throne because her leadership, and that of her predecessors, has perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind.”
The letter also claims that the Royal visit seems tone-deaf given that Jamaica and most of the Caribbean countries are still struggling to ease the impact of the covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing global crisis related to the Russia/Ukraine war.
The undersigned urge the Queen and the UK government to give “an apology for British crimes against humanity, including but not limited to the exploitation of the indigenous people of Jamaica, the transatlantic trafficking of Africans, the enslavement of Africans, indentureship and colonialization”, it is read on the letter.
Moreover, it is stated that Jamaicans won’t be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Queen on the British throne, but rather their 60 years of freedom “from British colonial domination”.
They also urge William and Kate, as ” “direct beneficiaries of the wealth accumulated by the royal family over centuries”, to “redefine the relationship between the British monarchy and the people of Jamaica”, by acknowledging the need for atonement and reparations.
The Dukes of Cambridge started a Royal tour in the Caribbean as a way to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in former British colonies that nowadays keep Queen Elizabeth as head of state, however, experts believe that this tour is a way to deter other countries from seeking to follow in Barbados’ footsteps and become fully independent from the British crown as the country did in early 2022.
