London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Prince William tells Caribbean tour that relationships evolve

Prince William tells Caribbean tour that relationships evolve

Any decision Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas make on their futures will be supported with "pride and respect", the Duke of Cambridge has said.

On the final night of the royals' Caribbean tour, he said: "Relationships evolve. Friendship endures."

There have been calls in Jamaica to drop the Queen as head of state, and on Wednesday its prime minister told the duke the country was "moving on".

In November Barbados replaced the Queen with an elected president.

The future role of the royal family in the Caribbean has been a central topic throughout the duke and duchess's eight-day tour.

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.

On Wednesday, during a meeting with the Cambridges in front of cameras, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said his country intended to "fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country".

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.

The PR missteps that overshadowed a royal tour

Palace staff must be wondering how the defining image of the Cambridges' trip to the Caribbean was not the explosion of joy and pleasure that greeted the couple in Trench Town, in the Jamaican capital of Kingston.

But instead, what looked to many as some sort of white-saviour parody, with Catherine and William fleetingly making contact with the outstretched fingers of Jamaican children, pushing through a wire fence.

It was a bad misstep for a couple who are surprisingly media-savvy. And it was not the only one on this curiously disorganised trip.

The first engagement in Belize was hurriedly cancelled following a protest by some residents. Another smaller protest popped up on the day they arrived in Jamaica.

It is worth noting that many things went well. Prince William's speeches were thoughtful and well-received.

And at their various events, the Cambridges thanked those who so often go un-thanked and unrewarded for their efforts, drawing attention to stubbornly unfashionable causes and issues.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Bahamian governor-general on Friday, the duke noted that the country would next year be celebrating the 50-year anniversary of its independent from Britain.

"And with Jamaica celebrating 60 years of independence this year, and Belize celebrating 40 years of independence last year, I want to say this," he said.

"We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future. Relationships evolve. Friendship endures."

A traditional Junkanoo parade staged in the couple's honour


The Cambridges' week-long tour to mark the Queen's 70 years on the throne has seen them visit Belize and Jamaica before their final stop in the Bahamas.

In Belize, the royal couple got involved in some traditional dancing, visited a chocolate farm and learned about efforts to conserve Belize's barrier reef.

In Jamaica, they visited the neighbourhood where reggae legend Bob Marley lived and played football with England forward Raheem Sterling, who was born on the island.

On Friday the couple raced against each other as part of a regatta to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubillee.

The trip also saw the duke meet members of the Bahamas Red Cross who had dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 before being deployed to Covid-19 hubs, while the duchess spoke to medics at the Princess Margaret Hospital about the importance of mental and physical health.

They also saw a traditional Junkanoo parade featuring performers in elaborate costumes and visited a primary school, where students presented them with a portrait of the Queen.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×