Prince William has opened the door to a diminished role for the British monarchy in the Commonwealth in the future, after a tour of the Caribbean, some of whose photos were criticized for their allusions to colonialism.

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“I know this tour has brought questions of the past and the future into greater focus,” the 39-year-old prince, second in line to the throne, said in a statement Saturday night. “In Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas,” the independent countries, but Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, “it is up to the people to decide on this future,” declared the sovereign’s grandson.

During this tour as part of celebrations for the Queen’s 70 years in power, the American couple witnessed renewed ties with slavery and demanded an apology, while Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness deemed his country’s transition “inevitably” to a republic. As Barbados did last November.

Prince William continued at the end of this trip with his wife: “We really enjoyed spending time with the people of these three countries and getting a better understanding of the issues that mattered to them better.”

“Catherine and I are committed to serving. Pour nous, il ne s’agit pas de dire aux gens ce qu’ils doivent faire”, mais de “les servir et les soutenir de la manière qu’ils jugent la meilleure, en utilisant la plateforme que” nous avons la chance d’have.”

The Prince also opened the door to a change in the direction of the Commonwealth, introduced by the Queen, who is very attached to this association of 54 nations, most of which were part of the British colonial empire.

Prince William said: “What matters to me is not who will choose the Commonwealth to lead his family in the future, what matters to us is the ability of the Commonwealth family to create a better future for the peoples of which it is made up, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.”

Some pictures of the princely voyage, such as those taken by these children’s hands through a fence in Jamaica to greet the couple, or the procession of Kate and William, dressed in uniform on a Land Rover, have been criticized for their connotation of colonialism.

The couple also had to cancel a visit to a village in Belize due to the hostility of some local residents.