Earl and the Countess of Wessex postpone Grenada trip
The Caribbean tour of the Earl and the Countess of Wessex begins on Friday, but a day prior it has been announced that the couple is postponing their Grenada trip.
According to the Buckingham Palace, the decision came after the talks with the Grenada’s government and governor general.
On the advice of Dame Cecile La Grenade, its governor general and the Queen’s representative in the country, Grenada suggested a postponement to Prince Edward and Sophie.
A source from the Buckingham Palace said discussions with host nations were held to make sure that the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s itinerary “would meet the aims of the tour,” which are to celebrate the islands and mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The tour of the Prince William and Duchess Kate last month was met with a lot of protests and their trip to a farm in Belize was cancelled because the locals “were not consulted” about their visit.
Although no reason has been given for the postponement of the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s trip to Grenada, the key word in the brief statement announcing the change of plan must be “consultation,” wrote BBC’s Sarah Campbell.
“Maybe the reason Grenada was dropped is that it was felt a visit may be deemed too political and a risk from a PR perspective,” she added.
The palace has yet to disclose on the reason for the delay of visiting Grenada, and the royal couple hopes to visit the island on a later date.
Three Caribbean nations will be graced by Prince Edward and Sophie—Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda,
Antigua and Barbuda: No ‘phoney sanctimony’
An open letter warned the the Earl and Countess of Sussex ahead of their visit to Antigua and Barbuda.
The Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission has written its criticism to the past comments on slavery made by the Royal Family.
“It has become common for members of the Royal Family and representatives of the government of Britain to come to this region and lament that slavery was an ‘appalling atrocity’, that it was ‘abhorrent’, that ‘it should not have happened’,” an article by Sky News quoted the letter.
“We hear the phony sanctimony of those who came before you that these crimes are a ‘stain on your history’. For us, they are the source of genocide and of continuing deep international injury, injustice and racism. We hope you will respect us by not repeating the mantra. We are not simpletons,” it continued.