Prince William and Kate Middleton received an intense backlash during their visit to Jamaica for recreating the Queen and Prince Philip's parade in a Land Rover. However, the Duke of Cambridge reportedly raised concern about it finding it a "red flag." But it was the host country that allegedly requested them to do it.
Prince William Allegedly Felt Jamaica Land Rover Parade Was A 'Red Flag'
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrapped up their eight-day Caribbean tour last month after visiting Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. The controversial tour was met with different reactions, including protests about colonialism and reparations.
One of the highlights that brought intense backlash to the royal couple was photos of them recreating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's commissioning parade on a land rover. Many found the sigh offensive especially because Jamaica has already expressed its interest to be independent of the Commonwealth.
"When they deliberately recreated the Queen and Prince Philip’s journey on a Land Rover from decades ago, the wistful nod to a bygone era struck an odd tone in a country looking to move forward not back," wrote Victoria Murphy, a journalist specializing in the royal family and contributing editor at Town & Country.
However, royal biographer Robert Fiorita came to Prince William and Kate Middleton's defense. According to her in her and Rachel Bowie's weekly Royally Podcast episode, it was the host country that requested that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do it. Prince William even reportedly raised concern about it, finding it a "red flag."
"He told his PR team. They said the Ministry of Defence in Jamaica really wants this," Fiorito, co-author of Royal Trivia: Your Guide to the Modern British Royal Family, was quoted by Express as saying. "They have so much pride about this vehicle and that they still have it and this moment."
She continued, "They [William and Kate] are aware of the controversy and that royal tours can't be the same."
Simon Perry, People's chief foreign correspondent who has covered several of the couple's tours over the years, shared new insight into the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Caribbean tour. Just like what Fiorito said, it was the Jamaican military that allegedly made the request.
"To be fair, the couple was boxed in by certain elements governing a Jubilee tour — such as military parades and callbacks to Queen Elizabeth's earlier visits — as well as requests from the host countries (it was the Jamaican military who requested they ride from the ceremony standing in the Land Rover)," Perry wrote for People.
Prince William And Kate Middleton Handled Caribbean Tour With Grace
Perry who was among the press who joined the. Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they visited the Caribbean nations praised the couple for the way they handled the entire trip. He admitted that the tour being at the center of controversy was a "marked change," but the future king and queen consort "seemed to handle it with grace."
Also, despite the negative headlines, the correspondent noted that the royal couple was actually "largely only welcomed with smiles and sheer joy" when they arrived in Trench Town, Jamaica, and Nassau, the Bahamas. However, the challenge kicked off on their first day when Prince William and Middleton had to cancel their first stop in Belize when the villagers in their Indian Creek staged a protest about colonialism.
Prince William and Middleton also faced criticism for their photos shaking hands with children watching them take part in a soccer game through a wire fence. However, according to Perry, shortly after those photos, the royal couple was "surrounded by excited young people, many of who repeatedly shouted, 'We love you,'" when they visited the Bob Marley museum.
Perry said he and the others covering the royal tour witnessed "the joy from those who met the couple, the continuing charm of William and Kate, their deep commitment to those they spoke to or their attentiveness."
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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