In Jamaica, Prince William expresses ‘profound sorrow’ on slavery
Prince William expressed his condemnation on slavery, calling it “abhorrent” and that “it should never have happened” in a speech on Wednesday night.
“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. I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent, and it should never have happened,” the Duke of Cambridge said.
“While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude. The strength and shared sense of purpose of the Jamaican people, represented in your flag and motto, celebrate an invincible spirit,” he added.
The 39-year-old monarch also noted that anniversaries such as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which will be marked on Friday (March 24), are opportunities for “a moment for reflection.”
Prince William and Duchess Kate arrived on Tuesday in Jamaica as part of the week-long tour in the Caribbean, a move that has been seen as a charm offensive to strengthen the influence of the monarchy in the region.
The Duke’s remarks were delivered during a State dinner with Jamaica’s top officials led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who appeared to have given the Cambridge royals a crystal clear signal that Jamaica will be moving towards becoming independent from the monarchy and transform a Republic.
“Jamaica is as you would see a country that is very proud of its history, very proud of what we have achieved and we are moving on, and we intend to attain in short order and fulfil our true ambition as an independent, developed, prosperous country,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Holness mentioned some issues that remain “unresolved,” and hoped that the royal couple’s presence could give “an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, put front and center, and to be addressed as best as we can.”
Before the state dinner, a small group of anti-monarchy protesters assembled in Kingston to demand an apology from Britain.
A CNN report quoted human rights activist Kay Osborne, who told Reuters: “It is an insult to use for these young people (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) to be here to try to persuade us to keep the status quo in place when our goal is to loosen and remove the hands, the gloved hands of the Queen from around our necks so that we can breathe.”