Harry and Meghan’s Jamaica trip was ‘not especially welcome back in London’ as jaunt is criticised as being ‘misguided’ due its political connotations
Harry and Meghan’s trip to Jamaica was ‘not especially welcome back in London‘ with the jaunt criticised for being ‘misguided’ due to its political connotations, sourced have claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise visit to the Caribbean country this week to attend the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love and support the Marley family.
The pair were branded ‘insensitive’ after posing with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to ditch the monarchy – just as King Charles prepares for prostate treatment and the Princess of Wales recovers in hospital from abdominal surgery.
According to The Times, the timing of Harry and Meghan’s visit as guests of Brian Robbins, the chief executive of Paramount, was not received particularly well by those at Buckingham Palace due to both political and personal reasons.
According to the newspaper, one well-placed source said the trip was ‘not especially welcome back in London’ while another said the excursion was ‘misguided’.
Harry and Meghan were pictured with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to ditch the monarchy
Harry and Meghan posed with Holness and his wife Juliet in Jamaica
Harry, Meghan, Brian Robbins and Tracy Robbins are seen posing for pictures on the red carpet
The trip came on the same week that King Charles prepares for prostate treatment back in the UK
A source close to King Charles reportedly suggested that Prince Harry may have accepted the invitation because he is oblivious to the familial or political sensitivities of being photographed with the Jamaican PM.
It is believed Harry and Meghan were flown to the island via private jet courtesy of Paramount Pictures, the production company behind Marley’s new film – with the couple making a surprise appearance on the red carpet of the biopic’s world premiere.
The couple posed with Holness, who hosted William and Kate in 2022 during an official visit to the Caribbean.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had a meeting with Holness, and in an awkward moment the Jamaican PM told them his country was ‘moving on’, after which William pressed his lips together and agreed. King Charles is currently head of state of Jamaica.
The process to sever ties with the British monarchy is underway, following in the footsteps of another former Caribbean possession, Barbados.
Much like the island county’s severance with the monarchy, Prince Harry too revoked his HRH titles and sensationally moved on from being a working royal in early 2020.
He moved to North America with his wife Meghan, who he wed in 2018.
Meghan and Harry now reside in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. The Sussexes have made very few public and personal trips back to the UK since leaving their duties behind.
One source said Harry and Meghan’s trip was ‘not especially welcome back in London’
The Duke and Duchess with Holness, his wife Juliet and Olivia Grange
The couple have had many ventures in the entertainment industry since their royal departure. They signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify to produce podcasts and docuseries, discussing their life within the royal fold.
Six months ago, they parted ways with their $20million Spotify deal, following the production of Meghan’s ‘Archetypes’ podcast series.
This week Prince Harry was seen on the red carpet hugging Ziggy Marley, the 55-year-old musician and son of Bob and Rita Marley, who produced One Love.
It is unclear why Harry and Meghan were there – although the film showcases British talent, with Londoners Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and James Norton playing producer Chris Blackwell.
Meghan, 42, was dressed in a full-skirted flowing black gown with a slick-back bun and a french tip manicure, and Harry, 39, wore in a suit and open-necked shirt.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment. MailOnline has contacted Archewell for comment.
