Prince William and Kate were hosted by Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William and Kate were hosted by Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been caught up in an uncomfortable confrontation with the Jamaican Prime Minister during which he warned the couple that they were unlikely to ever be King and Queen of his country.
The awkward moment unfolded between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Andrew Holness, who was accompanied by his wife Juliet, as he offered them an official welcome to Jamaica at his residence in Kingston, the nation's capital, on Wednesday.
During the conversation – which was filmed – Holness told the royals that while Jamaicans were "very, very happy" to welcome them, "there are issues here which are, as you would know, unresolved".
"Your presence gives an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, put front and centre, and to be addressed as best as we can," Holness told William, as the future King silently nodded.
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, with Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet during a meeting at his office on March 23. Photo / Getty Images
He went on to explain that Jamaica is "moving on" and has "true ambitions" to become an "independent, developed, prosperous country".
At a state dinner hosted by the Prime Minister later that evening, William made a landmark speech in which he apologised for the UK's "abhorrent" history of slavery.
"I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened," William said.
"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.
"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."
In 2021, Holness publicly declared that there is "no question" his country would become a republic.
The republic conversation is part of a wider issue that's already been raised to the forefront of William and Kate's royal tour of the Caribbean, with protests and criticisms aimed at the couple ahead of their visit to Jamaica. A coalition of Jamaican human rights and equality activists are calling on the Queen and the UK government to apologise for the ramifications of colonialism and chattel slavery the British Empire inflicted on Caribbean countries.
Prince William and Kate were hosted by Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo / Getty Images
An open letter was signed by prominent politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians, with a protest taking place outside the British High Commission.
"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 letter reads.
"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 royals' latest awkward exchange comes as a cringe-worthy video of Kate's attempt to chat to another pro-republic Jamaican politician is also doing the rounds on social media.
Prince William and Kate meet the Jamaican Bobsleigh team in Trench Town in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo / Getty Images
In the clip, which was filmed during a ceremonial welcome at Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport, showed the Duchess apparently being ignored by former Miss World-turned-politician Lisa Hanna, who has openly supported Jamaica's bid to become free of the monarchy.
A beaming Kate could be seen leaning over to engage in a conversation with Hanna, who remained stony faced and turned her head the other way, leaving the royal to quickly drop her smile and turn her gaze back to the front.
However, rather than a snub, it's possible the sound of the crowd and the wind meant the politician simply didn't hear Kate, as the two were spotted chatting elsewhere during the event. Later, Hanna also took to Instagram to describe her "interactive and pleasant conversation" with the royal.
