PRINCE Charles has landed in Barbados as it is set to ditch the Queen as head of state amid a “royal racist row.”
The Prince of Wales, 73, has jetted to the island on the Queen‘s behalf and was expected to acknowledge Britain’s colonial past and Empire in a speech in the early hours of this morning.
He arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport, in Bridgetown, where he was greeted by prime minister Mia Motleyand, military chiefs as well as a Guard of Honour and military band.
Prince Charles will address partying Bajans just 30-minutes after midnight strikes – marking the moment they become a Republic.
The Queen, 95, has also written a personal message to Barbados which will be presented for the handover.
Charles was set to acknowledge the impact of Britain’s 400-year colonial rule on the Caribbean holiday island in his speech during Presidential Inauguration last night.
It comes as the Prince of Wales dismissed bombshell claims he was the “royal racist” after allegations he questioned the future skin tone of Prince Harry and Meghan’s children were published in an explosive US book.
The allegations feature in Christopher Andersen’s book Brothers And Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan.
According to the royal author a source claimed the discussion took place on November 27, 2017 when Charles said to Camilla: “I wonder what the children will look like.”
She is said to have been “somewhat taken aback” and responded saying: “Well, absolutely gorgeous, I’m certain.”
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The source claims Charles then lowered his voice and asked: “I mean, what do you think their children’s complexion might be?”
The Prince’s aides blasted the claims as “fiction” and said they are “not worth further comment.”
Back in March, Meghan said during the interview with Oprah Winfrey that the Royal Family had “concerns and conversations about how dark” her son Archie’s “skin might be when he was born”.
But the person responsible was never named, with Meghan adding: “That would be very damaging to them.”
Oprah later revealed it was not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh who made the comment about Archie‘s skin.
Speaking as steel bands play and revellers party in Bridgetown’s National Heroes Square last night, Charles is set to stop short of mentioning slavery.
His words during the national celebration set for 4.30am UK time came as protests were held in Barbados calling for Britain to now pay reparations.
Up to 100 angry activists demanding an apology and compensation from the royals and the UK Government for slavery, which could run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
Amid this climate Charles, 73, was to address the new Republic on behalf of the Queen who is no longer head of state today for the first time in 55 years.
Barbados will remain a part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley last year backed Prince Harry when he sparked controversy by claiming the Commonwealth should “right the wrongs of the past”.
Harry and Meghan later lost their roles with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust in the final Megxit deal.
PM Mottley said at the time: “What I want to say and I think Prince Harry captured it, there has to be a conversation it can’t be reduced to a headline, it can’t be reduced to sensationalising and to that extent therefore we expect that the conversation is difficult as it may be is absolutely necessary.”
Her centre-left Barbados Labour Party holds 29 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly of Barbados after elections three years ago.
There has been no referendum or election but Dame Sandra Mason who has been governor-general since 2018, was elected the new President after a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate.
PM Mottley has also spoken of the noting the continued problem of “mental slavery” caused by colonialism.
And renewed calls for reparations by Britain and other former colonial powers for the transatlantic slave trade.
She subsequently appointed a special envoy for reparations.
Announcing her demands in July 2020, Ms Mottley said: “For us, reparations is not just simply about money but it is also about justice,” Mottley said, announcing the demand in July 2020.
“I do not know how we can go further unless there is a reckoning first and foremost that places an apology and an acknowledgement that a wrong was done. And that successive centuries saw the extraction of wealth and the destruction of people that must never happen to any society, to any race in any part of this world again.”
A statue of Admiral Lord Nelson in Bridgetown was removed after protests since the 1990s.
The statue marking victory in the Battle of Trafalgar was targeted amid claims of Nelson’s defence of the slave trade.
The square where it stood was originally called Trafalgar Square but was renamed National Heroes Square in 1999.
