In November, Barbados removed the status of head of state from the queen. The royals who have visited the countries of the Commonwealth have recently come across accusations of colonialism.
When the prince William and the Duchess Catherine visited the Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean in March, filled some of the royal accounts with sunny pictures and videos of dancing and diving royals. Happy people cheered along the streets and shook hands with the smiling prince and duchess.
For example, one of the suites published by the couple on their trip dances and praises the friendly reception and the opportunity to learn about the traditions of the locals.
A part of the British media with a narrow attitude towards the royals reported that William and Catherine had charmed the people, but in some of the media the news took on different shades. Reception in Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas was not unanimously positive.
Local critical voices point to gloomy centuries of slavery and colonialism in white European royals shaking hands through a net fence and waving a convertible, news reports The Guardian (switch to another service).
In Belize, William and Catherine were waiting for protesters, and the couple were forced to cancel your visit to a cocoa plant (switch to another service). In Jamaica, the Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country was ready to become a republic and the royals of the Bahamas were required to “fully and formally apologize for crimes against humanity.”
In Belize, protest signs, among other things, declared that the legacy of the plunder of colonialism was still going on.
In Jamaica, too, protesters declared that the duke couple would continue to benefit from “the blood, sweat and tears of the slaves.” This indicated that the royals had benefited over the centuries from slavery and the exploitation of the former submarines.
– Kings, queens, princesses and princes belong to fairy tales and not to Jamaica, read on the streets of the capital of Jamaica in the sign of protesters who “greeted” the royals.
Prince Charles grabbed the subject of slavery
With the approval and benefit of the royal rulers, the motherland participated in the slave trade from the 17th century to the early 19th century. During that time, millions of people were enslaved.
The British Empire acquired colonies from the 17th century onwards and was at its largest in the early 20th century. As the empire disintegrated during the 20th century, many independent states joined the Commonwealth and retained the British monarch as head of state.
Prince of Wales Charles took up the subject of slavery during a visit to the Commonwealth meeting in Rwanda in June.
Charles believes that in order to increase understanding, the history of slavery should be taught in British schools as extensively as the history of the Holocaust. According to him, there is a big gap in the country’s knowledge of the history of the transatlantic slave trade.
He asserted that he himself sought to deepen his understanding of the lasting effects of slavery. He said he was aware that the roots of the Commonwealth go deep into a painful history, and that now is the time to discuss that era.
– We must acknowledge the injustices that have shaped our past, Charles said at the Commonwealth meeting.
– I can’t even describe the depth of the personal grief I feel about the suffering of so many.
Many countries can become republics after Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II is currently the head of state of 14 former British submarines in the Commonwealth. The number declined last November in one state as Barbados became a republic.
With the transfer of the status of head of state to the president Sandra Masonille Prince Charles was also present. The Prince of Wales, then, highlighted the injustices that had come to light at the time and said that Barbados had suffered the horrific cruelty of slavery. Barbados, located in the Caribbean Sea, was one of the first areas in the 17th century in which the English sailed slaves from Africa.
Video of the change of power in Barbados:
The status of this is now being debated in several former submarines, whose head is Queen Elizabeth II. Support for the rejection of the monarch and the replacement of the president can be found in several countries. However, many countries are unlikely to put their words into action as long as Elizabeth is in power.
As the crown moves forward, the situation is different, and Prince Charles already seems to be preparing for it.
– It is up to each country to become a republic, the prince said at a Commonwealth meeting last week.