The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were criticized for being insensitive when taking photos with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who supports abolishing the monarchy, at a time when both King Charles and Princess Kate were having health problems.
On January 23, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the premiere of Bob Marley’s One Love in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica.
At the event, the Sussexes were seen shaking hands and taking photos with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet. They also spoke closely with Marlene Malahoo Forte, Jamaica’s minister of constitutional and legal affairs.
Harry and Meghan took photos with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, wife Juliet and parliamentarian Olivia Grange. Photo: Getty Images.
There is nothing to discuss if both Mr. Holness and Ms. Forte oppose the monarchy. According to Daily Mail, Jamaica is in 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 Britain.
He is also promoting a plan to make Jamaica a republic, with a referendum scheduled for late 2024.
Meanwhile, in 2023, Ms. Forte announced that Jamaica may soon break up with the monarchy and that the country’s future must be in Jamaica’s hands. The female politician implicitly expressed that goal after meeting Harry at the movie launch event.
Ms. Forte shared on her X account a photo taken with Harry and Meghan. The post quickly received the attention of many netizens.
Most notable is the comment of an online user: “Even more funny: the person accompanying them (the Sussexes) is the minister responsible for changing the constitution and turning us into a republic.”
Ms. Forte replied: “This is #Onelove.” This move is understood as the female politician wanting to play with words because the word “One Love” is both the name of the movie they attended the premiere ceremony for, means “one love”, and also refers to the anti-discrimination campaign. 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 the fun 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 they wanted to eliminate the monarchy.
The photo was shared by Ms. Marlene Malahoo Forte on her personal page. Photo: X.
In the context that Princess Kate had just had surgery and King Charles was about to be hospitalized, the fact that Harry and Meghan flew from the US to Jamaica to attend a movie premiere party and were close to those who opposed the British Royal Family shocked many people. worse than anger.
On MailOnline, royal commentator Phil Dampier commented: “Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing wrong if they went to the movie premiere. But at the time his father was about to have surgery and Jamaica was making noise about abandoning the monarchy, which is quite insensitive.
Of course, the royal family has always said that whether or not it becomes a republic is up to each country.
But I think they felt sad when Barbados abandoned Queen Elizabeth in her final years without a referendum. Jamaica will have a referendum, but it will almost certainly go its own way in the end.”
Mr. Dampier further analyzed that by going to Jamaica but not having time to return to England to visit his father and sister-in-law who are sick, it can be understood that Harry and Meghan are sending a message of support for eliminating the monarchy, and at the same time not wanting to reconcile with the monarchy. family and emphasizes the fact that they are living in another world.
Richard Fitzwilliams, another royal commentator, shares similar thoughts. He said that the Sussex couple certainly had a purpose when appearing publicly in Jamaica but privately sent their regards 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 trusting the Sussexes is unwise,” said the 75-year-old expert.
Harry and Meghan were accused of challenging the British Royal Family. Photo: BackGrid.