The Queen has been urged to apologise by Caribbean protesters seeking reparations after the Earl and Countess of Wessex received a mixed reception during their visit to Saint Lucia. Click here to join our WhatsApp Group.
Edward and Sophie initially received a warm welcome to the island during a walkabout in the town of Soufriere, but were soon met by a group of around 10 protesters before a trip to a cocoa plantation.
One protester, who would not provide his name, told the PA news agency: ‘We want reparations now. The Queen of England needs to apologise for slavery.’
Another smiled and said: ‘London Bridge is falling down.’
The demonstrators displayed banners reading ‘repatriation with reparations’ and ‘Queen say sorry’ while playing drums and chanting.
Sophie and Edward initially experienced the warmest welcome they had received on their Caribbean tour during a walkabout in the town of Soufriere, with one man saying to Edward: ‘I salute you, my prince.’
The earl spoke to a road sweeper with a broom who was standing in front of the small crowd, and joked ‘I hope you keep this lot in order’ while pretending to wave the broom.
Sophie and Edward were cheered as they left the area. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO RECEIVE NEWS NOTIFICATIONS VIA WHATSAPP.
The couple arrived at the Main Jetty in Soufriere by boat on Wednesday ahead of a busy schedule of engagements.
The countess was presented with a bouquet of flowers by a boy named Carlos Baptise, 11, who has a spinal injury called congenital scoliosis.
The couple then travelled past the small group of protesters to the Fond Doux Cocoa Plantation where they learned about the contribution of cocoa to Saint Lucia’s economy.
The countess had a go at grinding cocoa beans before meeting representatives from female-led businesses to hear about the impact of Covid-19 on trade and tourism.
She also tried painting a purse at one of the stations, while the earl was taken to where the cocoa beans are dried in the sun.
The pair then visited Sulphur Springs, where they were told about the history and evolution of the volcano.
The countess put her hand in the water and said: ‘It’s as warm as a hot bath.’ FOLLOW THIS LINK TO RECEIVE NEWS NOTIFICATIONS VIA WHATSAPP.
Sophie and Edward are scheduled to have lunch with Saint Lucia’s prime minister before travelling around the island’s Unesco World Heritage Site.
The couple will finish their engagements in Soufriere at the Mini Stadium where there is due to be a performance celebrating Saint Lucia’s young people.
The protests follow similar demonstrations in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where some held signs saying ‘compensation now’ and ‘Britain your debt is outstanding’.
The earl and countess were also urged to use their ‘diplomatic influence’ to provide ‘reparatory justice’ by the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda during a visit to the country on Monday.
Edward was criticised for his ‘disinterest’ in a speech by Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, by anti-monarchist campaigners after he was seen nervously laughing when asked to respond.
The earl joked that he had not been taking notes during Mr Browne’s opening remarks, so could not respond to all the points he had made.
The prime minister did not laugh at the comment. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO RECEIVE NEWS NOTIFICATIONS VIA WHATSAPP.
The Earl of Wessex gave his wife Sophie a helping hand today as the couple headed for a boat ride during the latest leg of their royal tour of the Caribbean.
Prince Edward was pictured holding the Countess of Wessex’s hand as he waited to follow her onto the vessel at Ganters Bay in St Lucia for a boat ride to the town of Soufriere.
Sophie again cut a striking figure as she donned an emerald green shirt which she paired with smart white trousers and heels – after she carried out engagements while wearing a £250 floral dress yesterday.
For the second day running, the countess was wearing a statement gold necklace engraved with a quote from Bob Marley that read: ‘Love the life you live, live the life you love’.
The Royal couple are on the fifth day of their seven-day tour of the Caribbean to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year.
After their boat ride, the couple met with St Lucian MP Emma Hippolyte and were then set to visit a cocoa plantation to speak with local businesswomen about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Later, the couple will meet St Lucia’s prime minister, Philip Pierre, before attending an investiture ceremony at the island’s Government House.
Yesterday, Edward and Sophie met with Commonwealth military veterans and personnel from the red Cross and St John’s Ambulance at the high commissioner’s residence in St Lucia, before travelling to the governor general’s residence for a Duke of Edinburgh award event.
It comes after anti-monarchy campaigners labelled the Earl of Wessex’s ‘disinterest’ in reparations for Caribbean nations as ‘an insult to Britain as much as it is’ to the islands themselves.
Republicans criticised Edward after he gave a nervous laugh following remarks from the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, who urged him and the Countess of Wessex to use their ‘diplomatic influence’ to achieve ‘reparatory justice’ for the country.
The group’s chief executive, Graham Smith, said the response from the earl was ‘arrogant and contemptible’, accusing him of not being ‘interested in engaging sincerely with those they visit’.
Last month, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were criticised for some elements of their recent Caribbean tour, which was deemed by protesters to hark back to colonial days.
There has been a rising tide of republicanism in Britain’s former territories in the Caribbean, with campaigners in many of the now independent nations pushing for the Queen to be removed as head of state.
The shift away from British influence has been hastened by the flooding in of Chinese investment into the region that amounts to at least $7billion since 2005.
Sophie was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers when she and Edward met with Ms Hippolyte and her family. A photo showed the countess holding the brightly coloured display aloft as she stood among the group.
After meeting Ms Hippolyte, the couple visited the Fond Doux cocoa plantation, where Sophie was pictured laughing as she ground cocoa beans.
The couple are also set to be hosted at St Lucia’s popular tourist destination Sulphur Springs by Mr Pierre before heading to Government House.
Yesterday, republicans criticised Edward after he gave a nervous laugh following remarks from Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, who urged him and the Countess of Wessex to use their ‘diplomatic influence’ to achieve ‘reparatory justice’ for the country.
Edward joked that he had not been taking notes during Mr Browne’s opening remarks, so could not respond to all the points he had made. The prime minister did not laugh at the comment.
Reacting to the meeting, Mr Smith said: ‘Prince Edward’s tour is almost as disastrous as William’s, showing he is as out of touch and tone deaf as his nephew.
‘His complete disinterest in the very serious issues of colonial legacy and repatriations is an insult to Britain as much as it is to his Caribbean hosts.
‘It’s time the Commonwealth ended its ties with the British monarchy and, in the interests of British diplomacy, it’s time we stopped sending royals overseas on official engagements.
‘Clearly they’re neither up to the task nor interested in engaging sincerely with those they visit.’
Continuing his reaction to the meeting between Edward and the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr Smith added: ‘This arrogant and contemptible response from Edward shows again that the royals are not cut out for diplomacy.
‘It has always been the case, but until now host nations have been too polite to put them on the spot.
‘Caribbean nations have clearly had enough of Britain’s patronising diplomacy and are using these tours to raise serious grievances.
‘More astute, sincere and accomplished visitors would have been able to engage with those issues, not simply dismiss them.
‘Edward demonstrated just why royals are no good at diplomacy, coming across as aloof, uninterested and out of his depth.’
The earl and countess were also met with protests on one leg of their tour, with demonstrators in St Vincent and the Grenadines displaying banners such as ‘Britain your debt is outstanding’, ‘compensation now’ and ‘end to colonialism’.
Despite the protests, the couple have been greeted with a friendly welcome at all of their engagements and have received numerous messages of good will towards the Queen ahead of her Platinum Jubilee.
It comes as aides revealed Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit Canada next month as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations where they will acknowledge the treatment of indigenous people.
The trip, which will be the 19th the heir-to-the-throne has undertaken to Canada, will see the couple travel more than 2,000 miles from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Northwest Territories over three days from May 17 to 19.
Clarence House said Charles ‘has long believed that we need to learn from indigenous peoples around the world how better we should live in and care for nature and the planet’, and that this tour ‘will highlight an emphasis on learning from indigenous peoples in Canada’ and focus on ‘a more sustainable way of living with global warming’.
The trip comes weeks after the Queen received Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle on March 7 – and follows Charles meeting him at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow last November.
Within hours of landing in Canada in May, the couple will take part in a ‘solemn moment of reflection and prayer’ in a garden dedicated to indigenous victims of the residential school system which saw thousands die or abused.
Charles and Camilla will also recognise the Commonwealth country’s response to the conflict in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion and meet members of Canada’s Ukrainian community, which is the largest outside Europe.
And the couple will highlight causes they have championed in recent years such as supporting the victims of domestic abuse and the issue of climate change, as well as recognising the role of Canada’s Armed Forces.
It comes three days after Charles’s son Harry revealed that the 2025 Invictus Games will take place in Canada, saying it would take place in partnership with indigenous communities ‘in the spirit of truth and reconciliation’.
Just last year, statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II were toppled and desecrated during protests across Canada in July 2021 on its national day over the discovery of mass graves of indigenous schoolchildren.
William’s trip with Kate to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas was plagued by public relations gaffes and protests about British colonialism, which led to the endeavour being branded ‘tone deaf’ to modern sensibilities.
The scrutiny came to a head when Prince William released an unprecedented end-of-tour statement addressing growing republican sentiment in the three countries – acknowledging it had ‘brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future’.
In the wake of the criticism over the ‘colonial-era’ optics of their tour, many have called for an end to similar overseas trips by members of the royal family.
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