Dancehall musician Beenie Man has said Jamaicans don’t want Prince William in their country, amid ongoing protests against the planned visit from the royal.
William and his wife Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, are set to arrive on the Caribbean island today (22 March) amid a row over Britain’s role in the slave trade.
Beenie Man, real name Anthony Moses Davis, appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the planned visit and why many Jamaicans are against it.
“We are just here, controlled by the British, ruled by the British law when you go in the court, it’s all about the Queen and the Queen serve and the Queen this and that – but what are they doing for Jamaica? They’re not doing anything for us,” he said.
He added: “If Harry was coming people would react different, people are going to meet Harry, but William... we don’t want to see that.”
There have been increasing calls in recent years for Jamaica to be made a republic and remove the Queen as the country’s head of state. Neighbouring island Barbados completed the transition to a republic last year.
A protest organised by Advocates Network is set to take place at the British High Commission with the aim to get Britain to apologise for its role in the slave trade and to grant reparations to the descendants of victims.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had earlier cancelled a visit to a village in Belize following a protest by the local community over the royal family’s historical ties to slavery.
