The British Prince William said it respects and supports all decisions made by the Caribbean nations, given that Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica are considering severing ties with the British monarchy. At the end of his tour of the Caribbean, marked by protests against the legacy of the British Empire, Prince William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, acknowledged that relations between the three Caribbean states and the British crown were changing.

"I know you all look forward to celebrating 50 years of independence next year, it's your golden anniversary," said the prince in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, where he delivered a speech. "As Jamaica celebrates 60 years of independence this year and Belize celebrates 40 years of independence last year, I want to say this: we proudly support and respect the decisions you make about your future. Relationships develop. The friendship lasts. Says the British prince.

His speech clearly shows that the royal family intends to support the Caribbean countries if they decide not to recognize the queen at the head of their states, as Barbados did last November. Buckingham Palace says it leaves such decisions to locals and politicians.

Some British media criticized the royal family

For 70 years on the throne, which was the reason for the Caribbean tour of Prince William and his wife Kate, the British Queen witnessed the severance of ties between the former colonies and the United Kingdom.

But Elizabeth II formally remained queen of 15 other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The visit by a member of the British royal family was accompanied by protests over British colonial rule marked by the slave trade. That is why the protesters are demanding reparations from London. In Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, William expressed "regret" over Britain's role in the slave trade.

Hundreds of thousands of African slaves were brought to Jamaica during British rule to work in inhumane conditions on huge plantations. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holnes told Prince William directly at a meeting on Wednesday that his country wanted to become "independent".

Some British media criticized the behavior of members of the royal family during the tour, especially because they shook hands with children in Jamaica through a wire fence.