Harry and Meghan’s trip to Jamaica was ‘less than welcome in London’, with the trip criticized as being ‘misguided’ due to its political connotations, sources claim.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise visit to the Caribbean country this week to attend the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love and support the Marley family.
The pair were branded ‘insensitive’ after posing with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to ditch the monarchy – just as King Charles prepares for prostate treatment and the Princess of Wales recovers in hospital from abdominal surgery.
According to The timesthe timing of Harry and Meghan’s visit as guests of Paramount CEO Brian Robbins was not particularly well received by those at Buckingham Palace for both political and personal reasons.
According to the newspaper, one well-placed source said the trip was ‘not particularly welcome in London’, while another said the excursion was ‘misguided’.
Harry and Meghan were photographed with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to abolish the monarchy
Harry and Meghan posed with Holness and his wife Juliet in Jamaica
Harry, Meghan, Brian Robbins and Tracy Robbins pose for photos on the red carpet
The trip took place the same week that King Charles is preparing for prostate treatment in Britain
A source close to King Charles reportedly suggested that Prince Harry may have accepted the invitation because he is unaware of the family or political sensitivities involved in taking pictures with the Jamaican prime minister.
It is believed Harry and Meghan flew to the island on a private jet courtesy of Paramount Pictures, the production company behind Marley’s new film – with the couple making a surprise appearance on the red carpet of the biopic’s world premiere.
The couple posed with Holness, who hosted William and Kate on an official visit to the Caribbean in 2022.
The Prince and Princess of Wales met with Holness, and in an awkward moment the Jamaican Prime Minister told them his country was “moving forward,” after which William pursed his lips and agreed. King Charles is currently head of state of Jamaica.
The process of severing ties with the British monarchy is underway, following in the footsteps of another former Caribbean possession, Barbados.
Similar to the island province’s split from the monarchy, Prince Harry also revoked his HRH titles and sensationally moved from a working royal position in early 2020.
He moved to North America with his wife Meghan, whom he married in 2018.
Meghan and Harry now live in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. The Sussexes have made very few public and personal trips to Britain since leaving office.
A source said Harry and Meghan’s trip was ‘not particularly welcome in London’
The Duke and Duchess with Holness, his wife Juliet and Olivia Grange
The couple has had many ventures in the entertainment industry since their royal departure. They signed multimillion-dollar contracts with Netflix and Spotify to produce podcasts and docuseries in which they discussed their lives within the royal family.
Six months ago, they parted ways with their $20 million Spotify deal after producing Meghan’s podcast series “Archetypes.”
This week, Prince Harry was spotted on the red carpet hugging Ziggy Marley, the 55-year-old musician and son of Bob and Rita Marley, who produced One Love.
It’s unclear why Harry and Meghan were there – although the film features British talent, with Londoners Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and James Norton as producer Chris Blackwell.
Meghan, 42, was dressed in a flowing black dress with a full skirt, a sleek bun and a French Tip manicure, and Harry, 39, wore a suit and open-neck shirt.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment. MailOnline has contacted Archewell for comment.