Kate Middleton Doesn't Let The Turmoil In Jamaica Rain On Her Parade
Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal Caribbean tour continues to be a headline-generating mix of fun coupled with a political undercurrent. For example, at the trip's beginning, plans to visit a cacao farm were modified when residents staged a protest in Belize over a land dispute, per NBC News.
The tour honors Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee (via Town & Country), with William and Kate continuing their work representing Queen Elizabeth. "William is a very active component in the way the monarchy protects itself," historian Robert Lacey told People. "As head of state, the queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters," Buckingham Palace further explained. As senior royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge generally observe the family convention of staying out of politics.
On March 22, the couple landed in Jamaica, the second of three countries on the Royal Caribbean Tour. Once again, a protest occurred, adding to the political turmoil. Protesters in Kingston, the country's capital, organized to demand slavery reparations. There has also been ongoing discussion in the country about severing ties with the British monarchy, per Reuters. "Matters of removing the queen as our head of state and reparations for slavery are very significant; they're fundamental to our identity and our nationhood," Mark Golding, Jamaica's opposition leader, told The Independent.
While Prince William plans to address the topic of slavery in upcoming a speech during the visit, the couple continues to stay out of politics and focus on culture instead (via People).
Fashion, music, and a rare royal selfie
Kate Middleton's best fashion continued to inspire when she and Prince William disembarked in Jamaica. The duchess swept out of the plane in an eye-catching yellow dress from ROKSANDA. The bold, vibrant yellow was chosen to pay homage to the Jamaican flag (via Newsweek).
According to Kensington Palace, the royal couple's visit to Jamaica is intended to honor the "seminal legacy of Bob Marley," per People. As part of that tribute, the duke and duchess spent the day in Trench Town, the musician's Kingston neighborhood and "birthplace of reggae music," per Newsweek. Kate wowed fans with a colorful striped vintage dress. While visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum, the couple learned about the legacy of reggae music, and took a drum lesson (via People).
Sky News reported that large crowds turned up to greet the royal couple in Trench Town. Jamaican soccer celebrity Raheem Sterling was also at the event. "I think on the whole there's a lot of love for the royal family here," he told the outlet. Besides meeting Sterling, the duke and duchess also met the Jamaican bobsled team. The couple hopped in a bobsled and posed for a rare selfie with the team, too. The popular photo was posted on the Jamaica Bobsleigh & Skeleton team's Instagram, where is has generated over 7,500 likes at the time of writing. William and Kate also posted in the comments, saying, "Lovely to meet you all today."