an apology from Britain for its former colony slavery reparations. The matter was addressed by Prince William during a dinner hosted by the Queen’s representative in Jamaica, Governor General Sir Patrick Linton Allen. Denouncing slavery as “abhorrent”, the duke acknowledged “it should never have happened”. He went on to express “profound sorrow” for the forced transportation of millions of people from Africa to North America and the Caribbean hundreds of years ago.
“Anniversaries are also a moment for reflection, particularly this week with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” Prince William said. He commented on the sentiment shared by his father Prince Charles when he attended the ceremony in which Barbados parted ways with the Queen and became a republic. I strongly agree with my father, the Prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history,” the younger royal said. “I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened.”
The future king went on to praise the Windrush generation of Caribbeans who arrived in Britain and helped rebuild the nation following the Second World War. “While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude,” he said. “The strength and shared sense of purpose of the Jamaican people, represented in your flag and motto, celebrate an invincible spirit. It is this same spirit that spurred on the Windrush generation, who came to the United Kingdom to help rebuild after the Second World War.”
