Why Jamaica is unhappy with Prince William's visit?

Hundreds of demonstrators have demanded restitution from the royal family during Prince William's visit to Jamaica, where he is due to address the situation of slavery.

The Duke of Cambridge was aware of the discontent ahead of the protest outside the British High Commission in Kingston, and will address it in a speech on Wednesday.

The visit of Prince William and Kate is being viewed as a charm offensive to encourage other Caribbean countries not to join Barbados in ousting the Queen as head of state.

Jamaicans who  are demanding reparations have even released an open letter for the Royal Couple,"We observe with great concern your arrival to our nation, Jamaica, at a time when we are still in the midst of a global pandemic and bracing for the full effect of another global crisis linked to the Russian/Ukraine war," the letter reads.

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"We find no reason to celebrate your grandmother's accession to the British throne after 70 years because her leadership, like that of her predecessors, has perpetuated the biggest human rights catastrophe in human history."

The Advocates Network, as the group is known, is planning a protest outside the British High Commission in Kingston on Tuesday to coincide with the royals' arrival in Jamaica. The Cambridges are expected to stay until Thursday before flying to the Bahamas.

The letter calls on the Queen and the British government to apologise for "British crimes against humanity, including but not limited to the exploitation of Jamaica's indigenous peoples, transatlantic trafficking of Africans, enslavement of Africans, indentureship, and colonialization."

It highlights then-Prime Minister David Cameron's "offensive and callous" speech in 2015, in which he urged Jamaica to "move on from this sad heritage" and lauded British leadership in eliminating the "horrors of slavery."

The letter asks William and Kate to "redefine the connection between the British monarchy and the people of Jamaica," beginning with accepting the need for atonement and reparations, because they are "direct beneficiaries of the royal family's wealth accumulated over centuries."

During her 70 years on the throne, the Queen has failed to "redress and atone for the suffering of our forefathers," according to the campaigners.

Kay Osborne, a local human rights activist who would be at the rally on Tuesday, said she was there to urge that Jamaica become a republic and that the Queen's gloved hands be "loosened and removed from around our necks so we can breathe."