The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posed for pictures with the Republican prime minister of Jamaica after travelling to the Caribbean for the premiere of a film about Bob Marley.
Harry and Meghan smiled on the red carpet in Kingston with Andrew Holness at Tuesday night's screening of Bob Marley: One Love, a film celebrating the late reggae singer’s life.
The Sussexes also posed with Marlene Malahoo Forte, Jamaica’s minister for legal and constitutional affairs, who said last year the country could become independent of the British monarchy and have its own president in 2024.
She said Jamaica could soon “sever ties” with the monarchy, because it was time for the nation’s future to be “in Jamaican hands”.
During a royal visit in 2022 Mr Holness told Harry’s brother, the Prince of Wales, the country was “moving on” and that Jamaica would eventually become an “independent, developed, prosperous country”.
The island’s parliament will vote in April on whether to scrap ties with the British monarchy.
It was not clear why the Sussexes had been invited to the premiere, but Harry said on the red carpet: “I had to be here.”
The premiere of the Bob Marley: One Love Movie in Jamaica signifies a momentous occasion for our nation and the global community. 🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/ZyPfn1wPnW
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) January 24, 2024
Their trip comes as the King prepares to enter hospital to be treated for an enlarged prostate after cancelling his royal engagements this week, reportedly at the urging of the Queen who told the monarch he needs “to slow down a bit”, while the Princess of Wales is still in hospital recovering from her abdominal surgery and is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
Kensington Palace has not revealed further details of her condition, but confirmed it was non-cancerous.
Meghan, 42, wore a long, black A-line gown with gold earrings and had her hair in a slicked-back bun, while Harry, 39, was dressed in a dark suit and open-necked white shirt for the premiere. Marley’s son Ziggy was also in attendance.
The film will be released in February and stars British actors Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, with James Norton playing record boss Chris Blackwell.
