Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's controversial Caribbean royal tour
The tour was branded "tone-deaf"
In March 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton embarked on an eight-day tour of the Caribbean, visiting Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Planned as a goodwill mission to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, the trip was intended to strengthen ties with Commonwealth nations.
However, the tour ignited controversy, protests and global scrutiny.
Prince William and Kate Middleton on Caribbean tour
The visit began in Belize on March 19, where the couple was scheduled to tour a sustainable cocoa farm in the Maya Mountains.
However, before they arrived, villagers in Indian Creek staged a protest against colonialism and the use of their land for the royal helicopter landing.
Holding signs reading “Prince William, leave our land,” the locals also voiced frustration over a longstanding land dispute with the conservation charity Flora and Fauna International, an organisation Prince William supports.
As tensions rose, the planned engagement was cancelled. A palace source cited “sensitive issues involving the community”.
Although William and Kate reportedly wanted to continue the visit, local authorities advised against it and an alternate location was arranged.
Protests in Jamaica during William and Kate’s royal tour
In Jamaica, things didn’t get easier. As the Cambridges were greeted by cheering crowds, protests simultaneously erupted nearby.
A coalition of over 100 Jamaican leaders, academics and public figures signed an open letter calling for a formal apology and reparations for slavery.
Protesters demanded that the British monarchy acknowledge its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
“We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension of your grandmother to the British throne because her leadership, and that of her predecessors, have perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind,” they stated.
The most striking moment came during an official meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. With cameras rolling, Holness plainly stated that Jamaica was “moving on” and would be transitioning away from the monarchy.
The royal family have in the past been pretty good at changing with them. But not on this tour.
It was a clear message, and one the royal couple couldn’t ignore.
That evening, Prince William delivered what was widely described as a landmark speech. He said: “I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened.”
He also praised Jamaica’s strength and acknowledged the queen’s deep affection for the country.
But critics argued the speech didn’t go far enough. The Advocates Network, the coalition behind reparations protests, called it “tone deaf”. In a statement to The Independent, they claimed that it echoed past royal statements without offering the formal apology that was being requested.
‘Times have changed’
Throughout the tour, the couple continued with their engagements, dancing with locals, diving in coral reefs and visiting children. However, many of the tour’s photo ops drew criticism for also being tone-deaf.
A photo of William and Kate shaking hands with Jamaican children through a wire fence went viral. Regardless of the context, it drew unfavourable comparisons to colonial-era power dynamics.
A Land Rover parade, meant as a tribute to the Queen’s 1953 visit, was also criticised as pageantry out of touch with the current climate.
As a BBC royal reporter wrote: “Times have changed. The royal family have in the past been pretty good at changing with them. But not on this tour.”
By the end of the tour, the narrative was clear. Media across the globe, from the BBC to The Washington Post, characterised the trip as “cringeworthy” and “a disaster“.
While the couple received warm welcomes from many individuals, the overall mission seemed to have backfired.
According to the royal household’s annual report, the tour cost British taxpayers over £226,000 ($275,000). This also made it the most expensive royal trip of the year.
William and Kate‘s Caribbean tour may be remembered for marking the moment when the tide began to turn more publicly against the monarchy.
Read more: Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three-word ‘question’ to Harry over Meghan Markle
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