The Jamaican Prime Minister has broken his silence after a meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle caused an uproar.
Andrew Holness said he feels as though he has been “drawn into some internal issues in the United Kingdom” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the premiere of the Bob Marley biopic, One Love in Jamaica.
The royals were spotted brushing shoulders with some of Jamaica’s political class in Kingston on January 23. Their meeting with Holness caused uproar as Prince Harry’s father King Charles was seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate at the time.
Holness has however previously pledged to hold a referendum on removing the king as the head of state. He went as far as telling Prince William and Kate the nation was “moving on” from a monarchy when they visited in 2022.
However, Holness was more upbeat about the Sussexes attending the showbiz event. He told Jamaican the newspaper The Gleaner: “I was pleased, and I was also very happy to see royals coming to participate in this major event.
“Unsuspecting—little did I know—that I’d be drawn into some internal issues in the United Kingdom. But so it is, more publicity for Jamaica.”
Royal author Phil Dampier was among those to criticise Harry and Meghan’s decision to meet Holness. He told the Daily Mail: “Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with them going to a film premiere.
“But at a time when his father is going under the knife and Jamaica is making noises about ditching the monarchy, this is rather insensitive.”
Dampier said the couple attending the One Love premiere was “sending out a message” that they support Jamaica at a time when they had not publicly commented on the King’s health.
Meanwhile Omid Scobie, author of Endgame, commented how the reaction Harry and Meghan received was different to his family. Scobie said: “A different vibe to the last time we saw PM Andrew Holness with members of the Royal Family…”
