Prince William says UK will respect countries that wish to become republics

Any decision by Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas to break with the British monarchy will be supported and ties will 'endure'

Britain's Prince William said that ties with countries that leave the British monarchy behind will endure. Reuters

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has signalled that decisions by Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas to break from the British monarchy and become republics will be supported with "pride and respect" by the UK.

Prince William visited the three nations during his Caribbean tour with his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and his comments will reverberate around the region where five other countries also have Queen Elizabeth, the British monarch, as their head of state.

Speaking on the penultimate night of the Cambridge's visit to the Bahamas, the second in line to the throne told guests, who included the country's Prime Minister Philip Davis, that whatever the future holds the bonds between the UK and the nations will "endure".

"Next year, I know you are all looking forward to celebrating 50 years of independence – your Golden Anniversary," Prince William said.

"And with Jamaica celebrating 60 years of independence this year, and Belize celebrating 40 years of independence last year, I want to say this: we support with pride and respect your decisions about your future.

"Relationships evolve. Friendship endures."

Barbados took the decision to replace Queen Elizabeth as head of state in November, and elected its first president during a ceremony witnessed by the Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne.

Prince William's comments are likely to be interpreted as an acknowledgement of forces already in motion, as Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness suggested to the couple his country may be the next to become a republic.

He told the Cambridges, when he welcomed them to Kingston on Wednesday, Jamaica was "moving on" and intended to "fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country".

A few days after the royals left Belize, Prime Minister Johnny Briceno's government indicated the People's Constitutional Commission, a new body, will be consulting across the country on the issue of a continuing decolonisation process.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform, reportedly told Belize's parliament on Thursday: "Madame Speaker, the decolonisation process is enveloping the Caribbean region.

"Perhaps it is time for Belize to take the next step in truly owning our independence. But it is a matter that the people of Belize must decide on."

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