The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have held an official meeting with
Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who made clear his country’s
intention to break away from the British monarchy.
The royal couple were welcomed to Jamaica House in Kingston by Mr.
Holness and his wife Juliet and introduced to cabinet members including
Marlene Malahoo Forte, Minister for Legal Affairs, Robert Morgan, Minister
without Portfolio, Floyd Green, Minister without Portfolio, Office of the Prime
Minister and Audrey Sewell, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister.
After signing the visitors’ book in the lobby, William and Kate
were taken inside for a private meeting with Mr. Holness, who told the couple:
“We are very, very happy to have you and I hope you will have seen the
warm welcome of the people.
“Jamaica is a very free and liberal country and the people are very
expressive and I’m certain that you will have seen the spectrum of
expression yesterday.
“There are issues here which are, as you would know, unresolved,
but your presence gives an opportunity for these issues to be placed in
context, put front and centre and to be addressed as best we can.
“But Jamaica is, as you can see, a country that is very proud of
its history, very proud of what we have achieved and we are moving on and we
intend to attain, in short order, our developing goals and to fulfil our true
ambitions… as an independent, developed, prosperous country.”
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The royals are on the fifth day of their tour
The Duke and Duchess were also presented with an official gift of
Appleton Estate Ruby rum, created by the first female master blender in the
world Dr. Joy Spence – a blend of hand-selected rums aged between 35 and 45
years.
Dr. Spence, who presented it to them, told them to expect notes of
orange, vanilla and hints of coffee. And Mr. Holness warned: “You have to
be very careful with this rum.” “Treat it carefully!” replied William. “It’s
very rare to get rums in that age range, normally we get 10 to 20, but when you
get to 45, that’s very special,” said the prime minister.
Dr Spence agreed: “One of a kind, you will never see this again in the
rum industry.” “So this rum has a way of speaking on its own if you drink it
too fast or too much,” explained Mr Holness. William replied: “Well, it
will find a welcome home with us. It can speak to me all it wants; I will be
very willing to listen!”
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The royal was presented with a gift of rum
At 49, Mr Holness is the country’s youngest leader to date and vowed
to turn Jamaica from a constitutional monarchy into a Republic during his
election campaign.
He also served as prime minister from October 2011 to January 2012,
having succeeded Bruce Golding, but lost to Portia Simpson-Miller in an early
election in December 2011.
He was elected to lead the country in 2016 and on taking office, said
his government would introduce a bill to replace the Queen with “a
non-executive president as head of state.”
In 2020, the Labour Party won a landslide in another general election,
giving him another term as prime minister, but a timeline for a referendum,
required by law to make the change, has not yet been given.
Amendments to the Constitution of Jamaica must be approved by a
two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but
certain sections, including any relating to the monarchy, can only be amended
with a referendum.
