PRINCE William ended a turbulent tour of the Caribbean by admitting that the region’s former British colonies must decide whether to scrap the monarchy’s role in their countries.

The Duke of Cambridge also hinted that a British royal may in future no longer head the club of 54 Commonwealth countries as the political association of ex-colonies evolves.

The unusually candid comments, which were splashed on the front of several British newspapers today, followed a rocky three-country tour over the last week, which drew both criticism and protests.

William, 39, and his wife, Catherine, 40, faced calls to apologise for the slave trade that helped make past British royals’ fortunes, and accusations of appearing “tone deaf” over elements of the visit.

They were forced to confront the issue of former colonies considering whether to follow Barbados’ lead and ditch the queen as their head of state.

Barbados formally declared itself a republic in November.

Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas – all stops on the royal tour – are each said to be mulling such a move.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointedly told William in front of television cameras that the nation is “moving on” as an independent country.

“I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future,” said the Duke of Cambridge in an end-of-tour statement yesterday.

“In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon.”

William said he and his wife “are committed to service”, and that means “not telling people what to do” but instead “serving and supporting them”.

‘On my mind’

The Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 mainly former British colonies, is headed by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2018, its leaders formally announced that her son and heir Prince Charles will inherit the role when he becomes king.

But William, second-in-line to the throne, said “who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future is not what is on my mind”.

“What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.”

The couple’s Caribbean trip is intended to help the countries, where his 95-year-old grandmother is also head of state, celebrate her record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

But what were designed to be carefully choreographed photo-calls and public appearances for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee did not go entirely as planned.

In Belize, they angered some locals after failing to consult on parts of their itinerary, while they then prompted placard-bearing protests in Jamaica.

Demonstrators demanded the monarchy pay reparations and apologise for its role in the slave trade that brought hundreds of thousands of Africans to the island to toil under inhumane conditions.

Meanwhile, some of the optics of the tour drew criticism for evoking colonial rule, including the couple greeting kids through metal chain-link fences and William parading in an open-topped jeep in military uniform. – AFP, March 27, 2022.