Jamaica Reportedly Makes Big Moves To Remove Queen Elizabeth As Head Of State
As Queen Elizabeth reaches her 70th year on the throne, several countries have separated themselves from the colonial history of Great Britain and the monarchy. For example, Barbados removed the queen as their head of state back when they became an independent republic back in November 2021. Now, it seems that the same may be happening to another former colony.
The history between Britain and the now-country of Jamaica has certainly been long and fraught. In the 17th century, Britain took control of Jamaica from the Spanish, who has already previously colonized the island, per the Jamaica Information Service. It was not long after this that the British began to use African slave labor in Jamaica, and became a large part of the slave trade in the West Indies. Only 60 years ago (just a decade into the queen's reign over Britain), Jamaica was given independence by Britain.
And now the people of Jamaica are pressuring their government to leave the monarchy in the past.
Jamaican officials have begun the process of separating from Queen Elizabeth's rule
One of the only connections that Jamaica still has to their former colonist is the Jamaican constitution's requirement for the British monarchy to be the head of state, per Britannica. While people have long been calling for the Jamaican government to remove the queen, the situation is now being exacerbated because of Prince William and Kate Middleton's impending visit to the country. The couple's Caribbean tour was supposed to be in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee — which marks her reign's 70th year — but William and Kate have been met with protests in the Caribbean countries they have visited so far.
According to the Independent, sources within the Jamaican government have revealed that a senior official has now been tasked with taking the country from a part-constitutional monarchy to a full republic. This process would include removing Queen Elizabeth as Jamaica's head of state. Another source told the Independent that "the government has had to start the process; the road to becoming a republic is not an easy one but they have long been coming under significant pressure to do it." One campaigner also told the Independent that Jamaica's current prime minister, Andrew Holness, may be beholden to the monarchy because he was appointed to the queen's Privy Council back in 2021.
So while Jamaica's journey to total independence from the British may be difficult, the process has officially started.