First , we’ll address the issue that Jamaica was on tenterhooks about. The Duke of Cambridge acknowledged the “appalling atrocity of slavery.” In his address, Prince William said: “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. I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened.” Though the Royal, who one day will become King of England, did not explicitly apologise for the three centuries of British colonial rule in Jamaica and the enslavement of over 600,000 Africans, he did not ignore the issue.

Now on to the pageantry of the official state dinner.

On the evening of Wednesday, March 23, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen hosted a state dinner at King’s House.

Guests began arriving just before 7:00 pm; the red carpet leading into King’s House was an aesthetically pleasing contrast to the black-tie outfits worn by attendees. Governor General Sir Patrick Allen was the epitome of gravitas, and Lady Allen glowed in a shimmering midnight blue gown. Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet looked regal. However, not to be outdone were Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding and his wife, Sandra, who basked in sartorial elegance.

But the moment the Duke and Duchess arrived, even the birds that nest in the porte cochère of King’s House knew to chirp in celebration! There was an audible gasp when the Duchess alighted from the vehicle, and the press corps saw the alluring gown, in a shade we’ll call Jamaica Green, created by British designer Jenny Packham. After being greeted by Sir and Lady Allen, the Cambridges were ushered to a private salon where a handful of guests were presented to them. Thereafter, the Royals were introduced to (and shook hands with) each guest during the cocktail portion of the evening.

For those who need a pop culture reference, entering the ballroom at King’s House felt like a scene straight out of Downton Abbey. There was pomp, without a sliver of garishness. The Royals and guests were entertained with the right degree of pomp and circumstance. Fae Ellington was the evening’s master of ceremonies.

The banquet began with the National Anthem of Jamaica followed by grace said by the 14th Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and Archbishop of the West Indies Dr Howard Gregory. Sir Patrick Allen delivered the opening address, followed by Prince William’s speech. The Duke of Cambridge reflected on the two days he had spent on the island thus far. “Already in our short time here, Catherine and I are delighted to have felt what Bob Marley described so many years ago — the spirit of ‘one love’ that Jamaica has given to the world and which makes this country so special,” he said.

He went on to mention lining up with Manning Cup winners, Kingston College, meeting members of Jamaica’s “inspirational” bobsleigh team, and “Elaine and Shelly-Ann, the fastest women on the planet”. Prince William expressed joy for the Jamaican students who safely returned from Ukraine and championed the work of the staff at Shortwood Teachers’ College, the doctors and nurses at the Spanish Town Hospital, and the Jamaica Defence Force.

He noted, too, that the trip coincides with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence, and the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Prince William noted that his family and Britain are “forever grateful for the immense contribution” of the Windrush Generation. He went on to say, “I’m delighted that a national monument acknowledging and celebrating the Windrush Generation by Jamaican artist Basil Watson will be unveiled later this year at Waterloo Station in London.”

The dinner, catered by the Jamaica Pegasus hotel and presided over by Executive Chef Mark Cole, was under the supervision of Rory Baugh, trainer and consultant to King’s House and was a celebration of the culinary heritage of Jamaica and Britain. In addition to pimento-smoked sea bass with jerked Yorkshire pudding infused with jerk flavours, there was a delicate Crêpes Suzette filled with Otaheite apples. A selection of Jamaican petit fours — naseberry cheesecake, coconut drops, plantain tart, and gizzadas — was served with Blue Mountain coffee at the end of the meal.

One isn’t unaware of the effects of colonialism. That’s why it is important to commemorate Emancipation and Independence days. Though the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge represent the monarchy that benefited the most from the nation, the road to reconciliation is paved with good intentions.

To close his speech, Prince William said “Catherine and I only wish we had more time to spend with you all in Jamaica. There is so much more to learn. I hope this will be one of many visits. And next time we’d love to bring our children too. Governor General, thank you again for hosting us all tonight. I hope you all have a happy evening. And ‘One Love’.”

The second playing of the National Anthem of Jamaica followed by The Loyal Toast brought the evening to a satisfactory close.

Special mention must be made of the Jamaica Military Band whose suite of music took guests from the Light Cavalry overture to a mixed arrangement of select Beatles music topped with the quintessential music of the land, under the baton of WOI P St C Johnson.

— SO