Jeremy Vine: Dr Shola discusses Britain's role in slavery

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Dr Shola insisted Prince William should have addressed the issue more directly and apologised for Britain’s colonial links to slavery. The Duke of Cambridge voiced his “profound sorrow” over the pain and trauma the slave trade caused to Jamaicans sold into slavery and their descendants. But Dr Shola insisted Prince William’s speech was not enough as she urged the Royal Family to agree to pay reparations to anyone affected by their ancestors’ conduct.

Speaking to Jeremy Vine on Five, Dr Shola said: “People keep on talking about Britain leading the way in the abolition of the slave trade.

“What Britain then did was go from stealing millions of individual Africans to colonising entire nations, where they committed mass crimes. They stole the wealth and national resources.

“I don’t care if it’s £300 million or billion – Britain cannot possibly afford to pay back what it owes to African nations. It owes far more.”

She added: “You still need to pay something. The question is, ‘is there a moral duty to apologise?’

“The reason why Prince William, Prince Charles, the Royal Family don’t want to apologise is because they don’t want to pay for their crimes and the fact they are still benefitting from them.”

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Speaking at a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica, the Duke of Cambridge said slavery was “abhorrent” and “should never have happened.

Branding the slave trade an event which “forever stains our history,” Prince William praised Jamaica for its “fortitude” in the face of a challenging past.

He said: “While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude.

“I strongly agree with my father, the Prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history.

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He added: “The strength and shared sense of purpose of the Jamaican people, represented in your flag and motto, celebrate an invincible spirit.

“It is this same spirit that spurred on the Windrush generation, who came to the United Kingdom to help rebuild after the Second World War.

“We are forever grateful for the immense contribution that this generation and their descendants have made to British life, which continues to enrich and improve our society.”

Despite his conciliatory tone, the Duke of Cambridge was warned Jamaica is ready to move forward away from the monarchy. 

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Meeting Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge upon their arrival, Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness said: “We’re moving on.

“We intend to fulfill our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country.”

Despite becoming independent in 1962, Jamaica maintained the Queen as its Head of State and is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Were Jamaica to go ahead with its plans to remove Her Majesty from her role, the country would become the second Caribbean nation to ditch the Queen in less than five years.

Barbados cut its final ties with its colonial past in November, with Prince Charles a guest of honour as it officially became a republic.

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