Kate Middleton Wears a Subtle Nod to the Queen as She and Prince William Take Off from Jamaica
Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton and Prince William
Kate Middleton and Prince William's first official visit to Jamaica came to an end on Thursday as they wrapped up their three-day tour of the Caribbean country and took off for the Bahamas.
For her final appearance in Jamaica, the Duchess of Cambridge, 40, wore a special brooch in honor of Queen Elizabeth. Kate accessorized a green dress by Emilia Wickstead with the Queen's hummingbird brooch, which was gifted to the monarch by the people of Jamaica when she visited in 2002 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee.
Twenty years later, Kate has embarked on an eight-day Caribbean tour alongside her husband in honor of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which celebrates the monarch's 70 years on the throne.
Throughout the Caribbean tour, Kate has paid homage to her host countries (Belize and Jamaica) through her style, making a point to wear the colors of the various countries' flags. She has also made careful jewelry selections. In addition to borrowing jewels from the Queen, she also wore a pearl bracelet that belonged to Princess Diana and handcrafted jewelry from Jamaica and Belize.
Mentoring from the Queen, extensive preparation and the tour itself are all part of William and Kate's burgeoning role in exercising "soft power" on Britain's behalf.
Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton
"The Queen has always been a believer in using her position not to exert power, which she really doesn't have, but to influence," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.
"She does that by example and honoring people by serving. And Charles and Camilla and William and Kate are doing that—listening."
While Kate and William have received warm welcomes from many of the locals during their visits to Belize and Jamaica, they've also faced intense backlash amid anti-colonial protests and calls for the Queen to be dropped as head of state from Jamaica.
Princess Kate — in Emilia Wickstead and accessorised with the Queen’s hummingbird brooch which was given when she visited Jamaica in 2002 — at the official farewell to Jamaica. pic.twitter.com/6v9zXBpNmL
— Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) March 24, 2022
At a dinner at King's House, the official residence of the Governor-General of Jamaica, William made a landmark speech in which he acknowledged Britain's role in the trafficking of people to the Caribbean and the United States.
"I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened," he said
His address came after a meeting with Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who directly addressed his country's intention to break away from the British monarchy.
Samir Hussein/WireImage Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness watch as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge speaks on stage during a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica at King's House
The rising tide of social and economic justice movements — including calls for slavery reparations and indigenous rights expansion — are rapidly reshaping contemporary views of the monarchy at a time when it is in transition: As Elizabeth, 95, marks 70 years on the throne, William and Kate are increasingly the modern face of both the family and the institution.
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The final leg of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of the Caribbean will see them in the Bahamas, where they will take part in a sailing competition and champion environmental issues.
They may also face more criticism during their two-day visit. Ahead of their arrival, the Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC) released a letter that stated: "The time is now for reparations."
