蜜芽传媒

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been undertaking an official visit to the Caribbean island to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee. Prince William expressed his profound sorrow about slavery in a speech on the last day of his visit to the country, saying slavery was abhorrent and should never have happened.

Queen Elizabeth remains Jamaica鈥檚 head of state, despite the island gaining independence from Britain in 1962 after three centuries of colonial rule.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told Prince William and Kate Middleton that the island nation intends to remove the Queen as head of state. He has campaigned on the issue in the past, and fellow Caribbean member of the Commonwealth, Barbados, ended its link with the monarchy last year when when it became a republic.

Brian Bonitto, a journalist based in the capital, Kingston, explained why republicanism is gaining popularity now and could be "part of the healing process".

"As an independent country... sixty years after independence, the time is now right. The government is acting on the mood of the public in this regard. Right now it's in the discussion phase. But the discussion is getting louder and louder. There is a call for reparations and an apology."

(Pic: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive for a meeting with Jamaica PM Andrew Holness in Kingston, Jamaica; Credit: PA Wire)

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