London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 09, 2026

Caribbean tour: Prince William says future is for the people to decide

The prince was speaking after a tour that saw questions raised about the role of the royals in the Caribbean.
The future relationship between the UK and Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas is for their people to decide, the Duke of Cambridge has said.

He said that he and the duchess were "committed to service" and that "for us that's not telling people what to do".
Prince William's comments come after an eight-day tour of the Caribbean nations to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The trip saw the Jamaican prime minister publicly tell the royal couple that his country would be "moving on".
It also came four months after Barbados replaced the Queen with an elected president.

In a written statement reflecting on the trip, the prince said foreign tours were an "opportunity to reflect".
"You learn so much," he said. "What is on the minds of prime ministers. The hopes and ambitions of school children. The day-to-day challenges faced by families and communities."

The trip saw the duke and duchess visit Belize and Jamaica before a final stop in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas leg included a trip to a primary school, where the duchess spoke to pupils about the importance of being able to reconnect after being separated during the pandemic.

The couple also visited a church on the Abaco Islands to speak to locals about destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and a coral conservation project that was among last year's winners of the Royal Foundation's Earthshot Prize for contributions to environmentalism.

The duke continued: "I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future.
"In Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon."

After the couple left Belize on Tuesday, a government minister announced a new commission would begin consulting with people across the country on how the "decolonization process" should proceed.

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis has not commented on the issue, although last year said it was "not on the agenda".
However, the day before the duke and duchess arrived in the Bahamas, a letter was released by campaign group The National Reparations Committee, calling for Britain to pay reparations for the slave trade.

In the statement, the duke said he and his wife saw the purpose of their roles as being to serve and support people "in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have".

"Who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn't what is on my mind," he said. "What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Westminster in Freefall as Farage's By-Election Gamble Triggers Broader Systemic Crises
Institutional Fractures and Political Volatility Reshape Britain's Domestic Landscape
Deadly Fire, Health Emergencies and Political Upheaval Shape a Volatile Global News Cycle
Flight Instructor Jumped to His Death — Student Landed the Plane: "You Know What You Need to Do"
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Prince Harry Suffers Major Court Defeat in Legal Battle Against Daily Mail Publisher
Bonnie Tyler, Welsh Singer Behind Total Eclipse of the Heart, Dies at 75
Barclays and PwC Report Examines Economic Opportunities from Financial Asset Tokenisation
Pound Sterling Strengthens as Investors Anticipate Further Bank of England Rate Increases
British Business Bank Invests Twenty-Seven Million Pounds in Kraken Technology Defence Expansion
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle Backs State Investment Strategy Inspired by US Approach
UK Electricity System Issues Margin Notice as Heatwave Tightens Evening Supply Outlook
Labour Leadership Contest Opens as Andy Burnham Emerges as Expected Sole Candidate
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
×