- Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton are on their Caribbean tour
- The tour comes after Barbados dropped the Monarch as head of state
- The Royal couple is currently in Belize, and will do multiple tours around Commonwealth countries in the days that follow
Jamaica has some words for the Royals! The country, which has been subjected to slave trade and colonialism that has deep roots in some of the country's issues today, is asking Prince William and Kate Middleton to recognize what the throne has done to their people.
Jamaican activists say there's "nothing to celebrate"
As the Royal couple, Kate Middleton and Prince William, tour around the Caribbean, Jamaican activists want the couple to know that they're not going to be celebrating their arrival.
The couple, who are currently in Belize visiting Mayan ruins, sparked a conversation around the Monarch and the countries that lie on the equator, sporting beautiful beaches and sunny warm days.
Starting their tour in Belize, the couple will venture to Jamaica and then the Bahamas over the next few days. While in Belize, the couple has been enjoying some fun dances on the sandy beaches, but an important letter to the couple sparks a deeper conversation.
"We note with great concern your visit to our country, Jamaica, during a period when we are still in the throes of a global pandemic and bracing for the full impact of another global crisis associated with the Russian/Ukraine war," the note reads, posted to an independent blog.
"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 note continued.
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It isn't the first time this tour that the public has taken issue with the Royals. Days before the Royals stepped out in Belize, the country held huge protests against the celebration of their arrival, forcing one of their outings to be cancelled.
The Jamaican activists note that the 70 years Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne, there has never been an apology.
Addressing the couple, the letter continues to read, "During her 70 years on the throne, your grandmother has done nothing to redress and atone for the suffering of our ancestors that took place during her reign and/or during the entire period of British trafficking of Africans, enslavement, indentureship, and colocalization."
The letter then demands an apology from William and Kate, noting that one day the responsibility of acknowledging the damages done by the British people will land on their shoulders.
"You, who may one day lead the British Monarchy, are direct beneficiaries of the wealth accumulated by the Royal Family over centuries, including that stemming from the trafficking and enslavement of Africans," it read.
"You, therefore, have the unique opportunity to redefine the relationship between the British Monarchy and the people of Jamaica," it continued. "If you choose to do so, we urge you to start with an apology and recognition of the need for atonement and reparations."
William and Kate are set to arrive in Jamaica later this week. They have not yet made a statement in response.
