Prince Harry touched down in Antigua yesterday for the start of a two-week tour of the Caribbean - but he faces republican protests after a social media campaign was launched under the hashtag #NotMyPrince.
Campaigners describe themselves as an "anti-colonial welcoming committee for the Prince" with the aim of "breaking the bonds of the Empire". They say they want to "resist colonisation of the mind" and have demanded an "apology and reparations" for slavery.
#NotMyPrince, which has borrowed its name from the #NotMyPresident campaign against Donald Trump, is centred in Barbados, where last year Prime Minister Freundel Stuart announced the island would drop the monarchy and elect a president to coincide with its 50th anniversary of independence on 30 November.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, reports the Daily Telegraph, the plan has been quietly postponed. "Instead of a president they will have to make do with an appearance by the 'Queen of Barbados', the singer Rihanna, at a concert attended by Prince Harry," adds the newspaper.
The #NotMyPrince movement has even quoted the words of Meghan Markle, Harry's new girlfriend, who has a black mother and white father, after she said: "You create the identity you want for yourself, just as my ancestors did when they were given their freedom."
The Times believes the trip has been overshadowed by the Prince's relationship with the US actress. Earlier this month, Prince Harry issued a strongly worded statement criticising the media for subjecting the Suits star to a "wave of abuse and harassment".
Meanwhile, Harry, who will visit seven Commonwealth countries during his trip, delivered a message from the Queen last night, congratulating Antigua and Barbuda on the 35th anniversary of its independence.
The visit is a diplomatic challenge for the royal, who is there as the Queen's personal representative, and is "likely to be the biggest test yet of his ability to win over the public", says the Telegraph.
-
August 31 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogsThe Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
