The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been criticised for being insensitive after posing for a photo with Jamaica’s prime minister, who supports the abolition of the monarchy, amid health concerns for both King Charles and Duchess Kate.
On January 23, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the premiere of Bob Marley’s film One Love in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital.
At the event, the Sussexes were seen shaking hands and taking photos with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet. They also chatted warmly with Marlene Malahoo Forte, Jamaica’s minister for constitutional affairs and law.
There is nothing to discuss if both Mr. Holness and Ms. Forte oppose the monarchy. According to the Daily Mail, Jamaica is part of the Commonwealth, with the head of state being the head of the British Royal Family, currently King Charles III. After Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022, Mr. Holness admitted that the Caribbean island wanted to cut ties with the UK. He is also pushing for Jamaica to become a republic, with a referendum scheduled for late 2024.
Meanwhile, in 2023, Ms Forte announced that Jamaica could soon break away from the monarchy and that the country’s future should be in Jamaica’s hands. The politician hinted at that goal after meeting Harry at a movie premiere.
Ms Forte shared a photo of herself with Harry and Meghan on her X account. The post quickly received a lot of attention from netizens. Most notably, a comment from a user said: “Even funnier: the person with them (the Sussexes) is the minister responsible for changing the constitution and making us a republic.” Ms Forte replied: “This is #Onelove.” This move is understood to be a pun by the female politician because the word “One Love” is both the name of the film they attended the premiere of, meaning “one love”, and also refers to the campaign against discrimination, racism, LGBT+ rights and human rights.
Omid Scobie, author of the book attacking the British Royal Family Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, also joined in by pointing out that Harry and Meghan’s smile with the Jamaican Prime Minister gave off a “different vibe” compared to when Mr. Holness met Prince William and Princess Kate in March 2022. At that time, Mr. Holness told the Welsh couple that he wanted to abolish the monarchy.
In the context of Princess Kate having just had surgery and King Charles preparing to be hospitalized, the fact that Harry and Meghan flew from the US to Jamaica to attend the premiere of the film, and were close to those who opposed the British Royal Family, made many people surprised, and even angry.
Royal commentator Phil Dampier told MailOnline: “Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with them going to a film premiere. But at a time when his father is about to have surgery and Jamaica is making noise about abandoning the monarchy, it’s quite insensitive. Of course, the royal family has always said that whether or not they become a republic is up to each country. But I think they are sad that Barbados abandoned Queen Elizabeth in her final years without a referendum. Jamaica will have a referendum, but they will almost certainly go their own way in the end.”
Mr Dampier added that by going to Jamaica but not having time to return to the UK to visit his father and sick sister-in-law, Harry and Meghan could be seen as sending a message of support for the abolition of the monarchy, while not wanting to reconcile with their family and emphasising that they live in a different world.
Richard Fitzwilliams, another royal commentator, echoed the sentiment. He believes the Sussexes certainly had a purpose in making a public appearance in Jamaica but privately sending their condolences to their father and sister-in-law.
“They clearly chose this difficult time to remind the royal family of what they have lost. It seems to be a tactic. The palace understands once again that it is unwise to trust the Sussexes,” the 75-year-old expert said.