Prince Harry’s visit undermines call for Jamaican republic

Prince Harry has concluded his tour of the Caribbean with a successful finale in Jamaica. The Prince has been greeted with delighted crowds in Belize and the Bahamas. Shots of him dancing with locals and sprinting with sports stars seem to have cemented the monarchy and his own personal popularity.Jamaica €" the largest Caribbean Commonwealth Realm €" came under the spotlight after Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller called for Jamaica to cut ties with Buckingham Palace.

CBS News reported that €For a country threatening to cut its ties, it hosted two days of photo-ops where they seemed only seemed to tighten'. According to CBS, €some see ties to a bigger country as an avenue for aid and security'. Jamaican Stacey Wright told CBS News, €I don't know why she [Simpson-Miller] said that, but I think Jamaica needs help.€

Simpson-Miller's statement stands in stark contrast to recent polls. According to a survey by Jamaican national newspaper The Gleaner, 60 per cent of the country, feel that Jamaica would have been better off with the continuation of direct rule from London. Their editorial €Give us the Queen!€ seems to suggest the attitudes of politicians like Simpson-Miller and one of her predecessors Bruce Golding, are out of touch with ordinary Jamaicans on this issue.

Prince Harry's easy charm and manner will have helped. Jamaican sports star Usain Bolt said of Prince Harry, €Most dignitaries are really different and he's really laid back and cool and he's really a fun person. I really enjoyed the visit. It was wonderful.€

Reading comments on Jamaican news sites and observing the warm embrace
between the third in line to the throne and the Jamaican Prime Minister, one could not help but think that republicanism would score badly if put to the people. According to The Gleaner, most Jamaicans have no desire to change the Westminster parliamentary system.

It would be hard to ascribe Jamaica's problems €" such as the country's high crime rate €" to Britain or the Queen. Despite the recent whipping up of nationalist sentiment, most Jamaicans seem to believe Britain did a good job of establishing the political and legal framework for Jamaica. If anything, the anger seems to be directed towards Britain's reluctance to embrace Jamaica and engage with it further. But the cultural, political and demographic ties between the two countries cement the relationship between Kingston and London.

Jamaica still retains the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as its highest court. The Committee has prevented Jamaica from instituting the death penalty to the frustration of Jamaican politicians, something which may explain Simpson-Miller's desire to no longer be a Commonwealth Realm and to adopt a new highest court.

Nevertheless monarchism seems to be rising in other places too. Polls in Australia and Canada have found significant majorities in support of the monarchy. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently re-instated the word €Royal€ to the country's navy and air force (something Australia also has). Even Quebec has seen a dip in support for republicanism. The Queen is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces in each Commonwealth Realm.

Jamaica's sense of needing a big sister figure is also in vogue. Britain recently returned to Sierra Leone €" a former West African protectorate €" to assist withthe administration of the country in partnership with local politicians. Since ending the civil war, the UK enjoys remarkable support in Sierra Leone €" which has seen improvements on most indicators €" on the back of exasperation with corrupt politicians who had blamed the country's ills on Britain.

While sections of the British media have sought to emphasise the country's links to Europe, the ensuing antagonism between London and Brussels seems to confirm most British people's sense that the UK's natural union will always be with the Commonwealth. The person union which exists between the Realms has received a boost of late. Prince Harry's visit seems to have reminded Jamaicans why they have a Queen and not a President.