In April 2022, the youngest of the Queen of England, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, were on an official visit to Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua and Barbuda. The route has been carefully prepared to avoid contact with hostile crowds. A precaution which did not stop the demands for reparations for slavery.
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During a formal meeting, Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, asked Prince Edward to intervene with his mother on the issue of reparations for slavery and colonization in the former colonies of the Caribbean. The prince’s response is unknown.
The catastrophic tour in May 2022 of Prince William and his wife Kate in Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas did not deter the royal family from stopping its project to celebrate the 70 years of reign of Queen Elizabeth in its former colonies.
The locals are no longer lined up along the official route with British flags. These are signs asking the royal family to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves that we see on the roads.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, reparations seekers are lined up on the route of the royal visit.
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Research by Caribbean historians confirms that the British monarchy profited from slavery and colonization.
In the 17th century, the Royal African Company obtained the agreement of King Charles II to transport Africans to the Americas. It is estimated that 60% of Africans who arrived in the Caribbean were transported by the Royal African Company.
King George II was a strong supporter of the slave trade and the plantation economic system.
To avoid any inconvenience, Prince Edward and his wife have changed their itinerary. The couple canceled their trip to Grenada. It seems that the Reparations Commission has officially requested to meet Prince Edward.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it was a walk through the Botanical Gardens in the capital Kingstown to have your picture taken with the island’s native parrots.
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie are photographed in the enclosure of the endemic parrot of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
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Outside, protesters demanded repairs.
Prince Edward and his wife arrived in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a year after the eruption of the Soufrière volcano. The agricultural sector was destroyed and thousands of people had to leave their homes.
The British government sent 238,000 euros to help the government which needed millions to deal with this natural disaster. Finally, the amount was revised upwards. The monarchy gave nothing.
In Saint Lucia, the photo of the meeting with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre made international headlines.
The official gift, given by Prince Edward and his wife to the Prime Minister was a signed photo of the couple.
Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia receives a photo of Prince Edward and his wife Sophie as an official gift.
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On his show, radio host Sam Flood wants to know who is funding this 7-day visit to the Caribbean.
Who are these people ? What is their importance? What did they do to deserve this trip?
Sam Flood, radio host in Saint Lucia.
Today mentalities have changed. The royal family no longer has any legitimacy in this region where the inhabitants are demanding reparations.