LARGE-SCALE celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee would be seen as “inappropriate and insensitive” in parts of the Commonwealth despite UK Government claims, a prominent republican activist has told The National.
Professor Rosalea Hamilton, who made international headlines after organising a letter calling for reparations from the monarchy during William and Kate’s visit to the Caribbean, questioned the narrative coming from the UK Government.
Tory ministers have claimed that Jubilee events will be taking place around the globe, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying celebrations are “underway across the country and the Commonwealth”.
Celebrating 70 years! The Prime Minister joined members of the @RoyalFamily at Trooping the Colour, as celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s #PlatinumJubilee get underway across the country and the Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/j9DcUKN2Zw
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 2, 2022
However, Hamilton said there was no sign of such a celebration in Jamaica.
“Life goes on,” she said. “There’s no celebration, nothing happening here. It’s just another work day. I’ve asked around, and I’ve not heard anything.
“I can say that if the British High Commissioner is doing some celebration that’s possible, but it’s within a select few individuals and most of the country knows nothing about it. It is certainly irrelevant to the day-to-day lives of the average Jamaican.”
She added that given the protests which had taken place across the Caribbean during the royal visit in March, any Jubilee event would likely “not have been popular”.
“A lot of Jamaicans feel that an apology is due and reparations are due,” Hamilton said.
Asked if large-scale celebrations of the Jubilee might be seen as inappropriate, she said: “Absolutely, and not just inappropriate, insensitive.”
Hamilton’s statements contradict the narrative from the Tory government that the celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee is a global event.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said in a statement: “In an ever-changing and uncertain world, the Queen has been a rock who has offered wise counsel to over 170 Heads of State and dedicated her life to promoting unity and social freedom.
“Her remarkable service to the UK and the Commonwealth is rightly being recognised across the globe, during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, as she continues to touch the lives of millions of people beyond our shores.”
Other prominent figures have also made similar claims, including former prime minister David Cameron, who tweeted: “On this very special #PlatinumJubilee, I join the whole nation & Commonwealth in celebrating Her Majesty The Queen's extraordinary reign.”
Cameron previously drew the ire of the Jamaican people when prime minister. In 2015, the former top Tory urged the island nation to “move on from this painful legacy” and praised British leadership in ending the “horrors of slavery”.
In the letter calling for reparations from the royals, this speech from Cameron was specifically cited as “offensive”.
Hamilton previously told The Guardian: “We see nothing to celebrate over 70 years – those were very difficult years for Jamaica.”
