Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has given the clearest signal that the island will cut ties with the British monarchy and move towards becoming a republic.
Holness made his government’s intention clear to Prince William and Kate, the Duke, and Duchess of Cambridge, during a courtesy call at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The royal couple arrived in Jamaica on Tuesday as part of a week-long tour of former British Caribbean colonies that coincides with Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne.
“We are very, very happy to have you and we hope you received a warm welcome of the people. Jamaica is very free and liberal, and the people are very expressive, and I am certain that you would have seen the spectrum of expressions yesterday,” Holness said, referring to a protest that took place outside of the British High Commission in Kingston. Residents involved in the demonstration were demanding an apology and reparations from the Royal family.
“There are issues here which are, as you would know, are unresolved. But your presence gives an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, put front and center, and to be addressed as best we can,” Holness continued.
“Jamaica is, as you would see, a country that is very proud of our history and very proud of what we have achieved. And we are moving on and we intend to attain, in short order, our development goals and fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country,” he said.
In December, just weeks after Barbados became a republic, Prime Minister Holness stated that there was “no doubt that Jamaica has to become a republic.”
Marlene Malahoo Forte, who was Jamaica’s attorney general until January, and is now Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, had also received instructions from Prime Minister Andrew Holness to reform the constitution to become a republic –a process that will also require a referendum.
