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Having toured Belize and Jamaica over the past week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in the Bahamas on Thursday afternoon to honor Queen Elizabeth’s 70-years on the British throne.

The couple was greeted by a little girl and received a ceremonial welcome.

Their tour of the Caribbean has been marked with controversy over the British monarchy’s tie to slavery and colonialism.

There is a growing call for reparations. William while in Jamaica expressed “profound sorrow” at the atrocity of slavery.”

Some believe the Caribbean tour is to persuade island nations to remain with the British monarchy due to some countries choosing to become a republic.

While in the sunny isles, the couple will take part in a sailing regatta, meet with Earthshot prize winners and meet Bahamians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince William and Kate’s Caribbean tour is causing more stir about colonialism and slavery.

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set to travel to their next stop, Jamaica on Tuesday, after leaving Belize, some Jamaicans are planning to protest their arrival, calling for slavery reparations and apologies from the British family, and are refusing to participate in the Platinum Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II.

The group, Advocates Network wrote an open letter to William and Kate, signed by one hundred prominent Jamaicans namely politicians, lawyers, songwriters, theologians and scholars.

The group attached 60 reasons why the royal family should apologize to Jamaica which include “the exploitation of Jamaica, the transatlantic trafficking of Africans, the enslavement of Africans, indentureship and colonialization.”

The protest is expected to take place on Tuesday at the British High Commission in Kingston.

Jamaica says it is in talks to remove Queen Elizabeth as Head of State. This comes after Barbados became a republic, distancing itself from the monarchy in November.

Prince William and Kate canceled a trip to a farm in Belize after villagers resented their arrival on land in dispute with a group in which William is a patron.

The Opposition in Jamaican Parliament led by Mark Golding, says though it will participate in the celebration, the British monarch needs to “make an authentic and profound apology for the role played by their family in the Slave Trade, chattel slavery and the plantation system, and also for a public acknowledgment that they benefited from it.”

William and Kate will be in Jamaica from March 22 to 24.

After growing tension in Belize and a slight change in plans, Prince William and Kate arrived in Belize, greeted by the national guard. This begins the 8-day tour of three Caribbean countries–Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Changes were made to their schedule when villagers protested the royal couple’s visitation to a coca farm which is in a tug of war with Fauna and Flora International, of which William is a patron.

Villagers were also angry that Prince William’s plane was planned to land on a field within their community.

Belize media reports that despite the controversy, the couple was greeted warmly when they arrived in the country on Saturday afternoon.

Prince William and Kate’s Caribbean Tour was marred by protest in Belize as the couple begins their Caribbean tour in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Villagers protested the visitation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their cacao farm forcing the event to be removed from the schedule by their office.

Villagers are in dispute over “contested property” between residents of Indian Creek village and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), the conservation charity that William supports as a patron.

Residents also claimed they were not consulted about the landing site of the royal couple’s helicopter which is a local football pitch field.

Chairman of Indian Creek village, Sebastian Shol said, “We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land.”

Dionisio Shol, a youth leader in the community told 7NewsBelize, “Imagine you going to Kenisington palace, you can’t just show up there. You have to dialogue and see if you even can go. So reverse it in our role, and say, why would the state be aiding [them]. It’s like the state is aiding these colonial masters by doing that to us.”

The Kensington Palace said, “We can confirm that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location – further details will be provided in due course.”

The Belize Government said it will move the visitation to another location.

After the Belize trip, the couple will travel to Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Why it matters

It brings to light the growing tension between British colonies and their relationship with the royal family as countries with the Queen as head of state, begin to question their colonial past.

Photo credit: Rebecca English/Daily Mail