The Duke of Cambridge has directly addressed calls for the three countries he has just visited on his Platinum Jubilee tour to sever their links with the Monarchy.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the Governor General of the Bahamas, Prince William turned to the issue which has dominated parts of the visit. The Prince made direct reference to the future of Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas as he said ”We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future. Relationships evolve. Friendships endure.”
It’s understood that the Duke of Cambridge changed his speech at the last minute to reflect the issue of whether the three countries will retain the Monarchy.
Earlier in his Caribbean tour, Prince William was told by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, that the future would be very different, as he said ”we’re moving on and we intend to attain in short order our development goals and fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country.”
Prince William’s speech came as his visit to the Bahamas drew to a close. He attended the reception, hosted by Sir Cornelius Smith, alongside the Duchess of Cambridge.
As their Platinum Jubilee tour of the Caribbean came to an end, William had warm words of praise for his grandmother in his speech, saying ”from speaking to people today, including lots of excited school children across the family islands this morning, it is touching to see your deep admiration for The Queen and her seventy years of dedicated service to the Commonwealth.”
He also shared memories of the Prince Philip, as he noted ”I know as well that my grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, had a soft spot for the Bahamas. Catherine and I were thinking of him today as we celebrated the return of sloop sailing here by racing off Montagu Beach. He would have been in his element!”
There were references, too, to his mother, as William recalled ”I came here with my mother as a child. Snorkelling around the James Bond wrecks off Nassau left me with the most vivid memory of your beautiful blue waters. for a young boy, obsessed with 007, it was the best holiday ever.”
Nature and the environment remained important themes in the Duke of Cambridge’s speech as he turned to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, telling him ‘‘it is very good to see you again, following our meeting at the COP26 Climate Change conference last November. Your powerful speech in Glasgow drew attention to the urgency of the crisis and gave a voice to small island states most vulnerable to climate change the world over. Your call on leaders to summon the courage, ingenuity and determination to succeed where others had failed, resonated with all those who want to see more robust action now. You asked the world not to let the failures of the past limit the ambition for the present.Prime Minister –we are on exactly the same wavelength. I share your impatience for change.”
And he also had praise for the positive impact of an Earthshot Prize winner from the Bahamas, Coral Vita, saying ‘‘By growing coral on land to replant in oceans, Coral Vita grows coral up to 50 times faster than traditional methods, and improves resilience to the impact of climate change in the process.Their work is inspiring and reminds us that a healthier, happier world is entirely within reach.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to visit Coral Vita on March 26th 2022 as their visit to the Bahamas, and their Platinum Jubilee tour of the Caribbean, comes to an end.
