King Charles III could soon be losing one of the countries of which he is Head of State. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, has instructed his country’s ministers to “move ahead with speed” on bringing about the steps that would see the country move from being a constitutional monarchy to a republic.
This decision has long been at the centre of discussions, with the Prime Minister raising the issue to the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when they visited Jamaica in March 2022.
At the time, the Prime Minister was heard saying to Prince William: “We intend to attain, in short order, our development goals and fulfill our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country”.
The matter now seems to be moving forward, with Mr Holness reportedly telling the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte, to “please move ahead with speed and alacrity on this matter”, according to a report from Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner.
In becoming a republic, Jamaica would follow in the footsteps of many other countries before, the last of which was Barbados in November of 2021. The ceremony was attended by the then Prince of Wales on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Charles watched on as the British flag was lowered and the God Save the Queen was sung for the last time, as the flag of the new Republic of Barbados was raised and the country ceased to be a constitutional monarchy.
The British Royals have long adopted a policy of support toward countries who express their desires to become a republic and detach themselves from British rule. In this sense, Prince William’s comments that the monarchy “supports with pride and respect your decisions about your future”, which he offered upon returning from Jamaica, seem to fall in line with the official stance of the institution.
