The Earl and Countess of Wessex have been met with banners protesting against British colonialism on the second leg of their Caribbean tour.
Edward and Sophie had initially received a friendly welcome on their visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines, but a group of around 15 protesters displayed placards as they made their way to Government House on the island on Saturday.
Banners on show included “end to colonialism” and “#CompensationNow”.
The protests come shortly after warnings from the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission, which urged Edward and Sophie to avoid “phoney sanctimony” over slavery.
Joe Giddens
In an open letter to the pair, the organisation said: “We hear the phony sanctimony of those who came before you that these crimes are a ‘stain on your history’.
“For us, they are the source of genocide and of continuing deep international injury, injustice and racism.
“We hope you will respect us by not repeating the mantra.
“We are not simpletons.”
Other placards used in the protest on Saturday included “down with neo-colonialism” and “Britain your debt is outstanding”.
The demonstration comes shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were criticised for some elements of their recent Caribbean tour, deemed to hark back to colonial days.
Joe Giddens
Before the protest, Edward and Sophie received their second red carpet and guard of honour of the tour after landing in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday, as scouts, girl guides and cadets waved the national flag.
Steel drums playing One Love by Bob Marley was the backdrop to the couple’s official welcome to the island.
The reception for the couple was initially friendly, and they were presented with a bouquet of flowers by primary school pupil Ashley Church.
Before standing on a platform to observe a guard of honour, Edward was greeted by governor general Dame Susan Dougan, followed by acting prime minister Montgomery Daniel.
The couple carried out separate engagements for part of their one-day trip to the island.
Sophie, who wore a floral dress on Saturday, visited a community college, where she was welcomed by the La Gracia Dance Company.
The dancers, all of a variety of ages, put on a short performance for the countess to a song with lyrics such as “welcome to St Vincent”.
She posed for pictures with the children before heading onto a number of stalls set up next to the college theatre.
The countess then met representatives of two organisations – Persons With Disabilities, and the Society Of And For The Blind.
Joe Giddens
Sophie, who is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, included it as part of schedule in order to continue her work championing the need for for support and equality for blind and partially sighted people.
She also sat with representatives of women’s groups and business leaders to hear about their experiences of last year’s eruption of the La Soufriere volcano.
At the same time, Edward visited the island’s national stadium where he met athletes training for Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games.
He observed two sprint races held in honour of the Platinum Jubilee.
The earl also watched the end of a T10 women’s cricket match and met some of the country’s netball and tennis teams.
Later on Saturday, after the couple had lunch with the governor general and the islands’ acting prime minister, they visited the botanical gardens.
Sophie almost had her sunglasses knocked off by a friendly Amazona guildingii, the island’s national bird, as they toured the aviary.
The pair also planted a tree to mark the Queen’s 70 years as monarch, and visited a tree planted by the earl on a previous visit to the country.
