Troubled histories: UK Caribbeans on King Charles and the royals
British Caribbeans share their views on the king’s coronation and relevance of the monarchy.
London, England – Preparations are under way for the coronation of King Charles on May 6, which will mark the inauguration of a new head of state in the United Kingdom after 70 years.
Across towns and cities, bunting decorates the streets, shops are full of memorabilia and fancy dress, and Britons have an extra public holiday on Monday to mark the occasion.
But while a sense of joy feels palpable for many, 64 percent of Britons said they did not care about the upcoming coronation, according to a recent YouGov poll, while 48 percent said they were unlikely to take part in coronation celebrations.
Al Jazeera spoke to some of London’s Caribbean community about their views on Charles and the royals, whether troubled histories can ever be forgiven, and the Caribbean push to remove the monarchy.
Here’s what they said:
‘The way that he treats Meghan and Harry is disgraceful’
Ivor John, 82, retired:
Will you be watching the coronation?
Perhaps I will watch, but I’m not one for watching celebrity news. I don’t think anyone is better than me. I celebrate myself, I don’t celebrate other people.
What do you think of King Charles?
Well, I think he’s alright. But, I think the way that he treats Meghan and Harry is disgraceful. I don’t know, but I think there is some sort of bias or racial discrimination there.
What do you think of the monarchy?
My father came up here to visit me in 1984, I took him to Buckingham Palace and he was overjoyed. I was so happy to see him happy, however, I’m 82 now. I don’t feel the same as him about royalty. I don’t believe anyone is better than me, so I treat people with due respect. So, if I saw the king, I would treat him with the respect that he deserves.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
I think the Caribbean should have their own thing. Have something to celebrate their heritage. England has the heritage of the royal family.
‘Their history is based on colonialism, racism, slavery, corruption’
Cheryl Phoenix, independent legal advocate for education law:
Will you be watching the coronation?
No. I have no interest whatsoever. Watching them waste millions of pounds, yet refuse to support or do anything by way of reparations. It’s amazing how they’ve come up with that money so quickly.
What do you think of King Charles?
He, from what I understand recently, is having a look into the history around the slave trade. So with regards to King Charles, it will be interesting to see more about who he is and what he’s about. However, I’m 70-30 where he’s concerned, because of some of the racist dialogue that has come out over the years.
What do you think of the monarchy?
Their history is based on colonialism, racism, slavery, corruption. There’s not much positive I can really say, unfortunately.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
We have to cut ties. How we became a monarch state in the first place wasn’t because we volunteered ourselves. For us as a people back in the Caribbean, it’s important that we do become independent from the monarchy. I think it’s important that we also tell them to take their military forces out of our countries. You have no business being there.
‘I don’t know if he has the same kind of gravitas as the queen’
Donald Waugh, 61, actor, creative artist, tutor:
Will you be watching the coronation?
If I’m being totally honest with you, no. No, because it doesn’t really interest me.
What do you think of King Charles?
He wants to be in tune with the younger generation. He wants to be more modern, but I don’t know if he really has much power or weight [as his mother]. Because of her silence and her anonymity, that gave her more mystique – if there were problems, she always kept her mouth shut and dealt with it in a dignified way.
It’s a different generation now. King Charles is moving into a new era. I don’t know if he has the same kind of gravitas or the same kind of respect that the queen commanded.
What do you think of the monarchy?
My parents are from the Caribbean. They came over in the sixties and I still remember the problems that the British caused for what would be my grandparents or my great grandparents.
[My parents] came over here full of life and they wanted to embrace this country, the motherland. But when they got here, they faced a lot of hardship.
I’m not really in favour of the monarch, also because of slavery – a lot of money is still being made from the slavery period … I’m not really a royalist, if I’m totally honest.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
I think the generations that are coming up behind us, which would be like our nephews or our younger brothers, even though they’re scattered in different parts of the Caribbean Islands, they feel the pain that we went through. They want to cut the ties, they no longer want to be dictated to, you know, “Our country: new rules, new school.”
Let us sort our problems out for ourselves. The problem with the British Empire … they took and they raided and they plundered. The younger generation is little bit more educated on the history that was hidden.
‘I don’t respect them’
Merl Reid, 67, retired:
Will you be watching the coronation?
No.
What do you think of King Charles?
I don’t recognise them. I don’t respect them. I have nothing good. As far as I’m concerned, they don’t exist.
What do you think of the monarchy?
I don’t think about the monarchy because the monarchy is not there for poor people like us. I think it’s a waste of time. They steal all the properties and just sit there in the tower with all these golds, all the riches, all these diamonds. If they give it back to some of these countries, they wouldn’t be poor and starving. What are you doing with it? You can’t take it with you. The queen is dead. What did she take with her? Nothing.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
Well, they should have done that a long time ago. Why are they there? What are they doing for the country every time they turn up what they do? Nothing.
‘Whenever I hear the term commonwealth, I often think the wealth was not common’
Chukuma Wagadugu, 54, business owner:
Will you be watching the coronation?
There’s a degree of curiosity on my part. I’m not necessarily going to watch it avidly. But it’s possible I will watch some aspects of it.
What do you think of King Charles?
When I was growing up, he was just like a playboy guy, you know, just gets all the women. I didn’t really have an opinion really about him beyond that if I’m honest.
But that started to change when he married Diana – and I watched the wedding. The breakdown of that marriage and how he appeared to treat her, that was something I didn’t like.
He represented perhaps a pernicious aspect of the royal family.
What do you think of the monarchy?
There’s a mixture of curiosity, as well as the criticism of the monarchy and what that institution is, and what it represents.
In terms of their involvement in the Caribbean and in Africa, and what they represent as an upper-class institution – they undoubtedly represent colonialism, slavery. What I would consider some of the most heinous acts have been perpetrated on Africa and the Caribbean.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
Whenever I hear the term commonwealth, I often think the wealth was not common. It’s an organisation that stems from slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism.
“Uncle knows what’s best for you, we know what’s best for you ‘natives, you come under this umbrella and we tell you what’s best for you. And when we visit you, you dance and you sing for us, and we continue the ravages of colonialism but in a different form.”
‘Yes, I’ll definitely be watching’
Mervelee Myers, 63, activist:
Will you be watching the coronation?
Of course, definitely. You grow up in a certain way, and those are the things you look forward to. So yes, I’ll definitely be watching.
What do you think of King Charles?
Well, me personally, I am respectful of all the elders but my husband would say Charles is ageing and having a younger person might have been more beneficial. We have to prepare the future generation for taking up leadership and managing and doing the work that the older generation once used to do.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
Well, it has been done already by Barbados. I come from Jamaica, and they are thinking about it, but my view is, are they ready? Barbados made their preparations and they are out. But in my country, there’s so much happening in my country at the moment in terms of leadership, crime and all that.
‘I like Prince Charles. He does a lot of good’
Howard Facey, 71, retired:
Will you be watching the coronation?
Yes.
What do you think of King Charles?
I like Prince Charles. He does a lot of good. I can’t bite the hand that feeds me. I phoned my sister and she said those things [like state security] that are in England are not in Jamaica.
What do you think of the monarchy?
I like them, because I was in Jamaica when the queen of England came here and she drove around and waved to everybody.
What do you think about Caribbean nations removing the monarch as the head of state?
When the queen of England used to run Jamaica, it was better.