One’s Love! William and Kate post Instagram tribute to Bob Marley after visit to his Jamaican home in the reggae capital of Trench Town during Caribbean tour

  • Video compilation used Jamaican national hero Marley’s hit song One Love as a soundtrack 
  • It featured clips of the royal couple being greeted by crowds during the visit to Trench Town yesterday
  • Kate Middleton and Prince William played the bongos and visited Bob Marley’s house  
  • Kate and William also tried out a bobsleigh under the watchful eye of Jamaica’s latest Cool Runnings team 
  • The royal couple’s visit has been mired by controversy and calls for reparations for British slavery

Prince William and Kate Middleton paid tribute to Bob Marley on social media today after visiting his home in the reggae capital of Trench Town in Jamaica during their tour of the Caribbean. 

The video compilation, which used Jamaican national hero Marley’s hit song One Love as a soundtrack, featured clips of the royal couple being greeted by crowds during the visit yesterday. 

The clip was posted on the couple’s joint Instagram account alongside a message that read: ‘Thank you Trench Town’. 

It was released online after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge played the bongos in Trench Town travelled to the reggae legend’s former home, now a museum, in the Kingston neighbourhood. 

The royal couple were mobbed by crowds who chanted ‘We love you, we love you’ as they walked to Trench Town Culture Yard and Museum in Jamaica’s capital. 

Kate and William also tried out a bobsleigh made for two under the watchful eye of Jamaica’s latest Cool Runnings team before meeting Jamaica’s sporting greats. 

The royal couple’s visit – part of a tour celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year – has been mired by 

controversy, as they arrived in the country amid calls for the monarchy to pay reparations for its role in slavery. Earlier, protesters gathered at the British High Commission in Kingston with placards and accused the monarchy of benefitting from the ‘blood, tears and sweat’ of slaves.

Anti-colonial sentiment has been growing across the Caribbean against the background of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years, with Jamaican politicians calling for the Queen to be dropped as head of state and for a formal acknowledgement of slavery.

A royal source said the duke was aware of the protests and was expected to acknowledge the issue of slavery in a speech on Wednesday night during a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica. 


Prince William and Kate Middleton paid tribute to Bob Marley on social media today after visiting his home in the reggae capital of Trench Town in Jamaica during their tour of the Caribbean. The video compilation, which used Jamaican national hero Marley’s hit song One Love as a soundtrack, featured clips of the royal couple being greeted by crowds during the ongoing visit

The royal couple thanked the residents of Trench Town on Twitter and Instagram after their visit yesterday

Prince William and Kate play music during a visit to Trench Town Culture Yard Museum where Bob Marley used to live

The Cambridges’ pose next to a statue at Bob Marley during the visit on Tuesday – the first day of their tour of Jamaica

William and Kate smile as they pose alongside a statue of the iconic singer, who lived in the town

The royals were surrounded by musicians as they played the bongos during a visit to the birthplace of reggae music, Trench Town

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured in Trench Town) are visiting Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas on their week-long tour

William and Kate pictured greeting people as they visit the ‘Cultural Yard’ in the Trench Town neighbourhood where reggae legend Bob Marley was born

The Duke and Duchess speak with local residents during a visit to Trench Town on the first day of their tour of Jamaica

The royal couple were welcomed by a large number of excited visitors to Trench Town during their first day in Jamaica on Tuesday

Kate laughs as she plays the bongos surrounded by local musicians during a visit to Trench Town

William and Kate were all smiles as they sat alongside each other playing music in the historic town

The royal couple’s visit is part of a tour celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year

The visit to Marley’s former home and the brief match was designed as a celebration of the singer’s twin passions.

Marley, who died in 1981 from skin cancer at the age of 36, was a keen amateur footballer who played regularly in Battersea Park when he lived in London. He supported Tottenham and the Brazilian team Santos.

The royal couple were welcomed to Trench Town by Babsy Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, and Mark Golding, the leader of the opposition and MP for the area.

Inside the museum, Sophie Dowe, one of the directors of the attraction, showed them around the courtyard dwellings where Marley and his friends learned to play music. William said: ‘So much musical history was made here.’

He and Kate went into the room where Marley wrote some of his best-known music. They were also shown around the singer’s sparse bedroom containing a stool and a single bed near a mural on a wall.

Villagers in Indian Creek staged a protest over the visit of Prince William and Kate to Belize last Friday

Protestors outside the British High Commission in the island nation’s capital Kingston on Tuesday held placards calling for the royals to apologise

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shake hands with locals during a visit Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae in Kingston, Jamaica, on the fourth day of their Caribbean tour

Kate, pictured in a different outfit to the yellow dress she wore arriving in the country, walks into Trench Town in a multi-coloured outfit

The Duchess of Cambridge waves to local residents in Trench Town during the fourth day of the royal couple’s tour of the Caribbean

Prince William at the Governor Generals in Kingston at the British High Commission. The couple were kept well away from protestors outside

Kate smiles as she speaks with former Miss World during day four of her and William’s tour of the Caribbean

Kate smiles as she sits during an official meeting with the Governor General of Jamaica shortly after touching down on the Caribbean island

Kate is greeted by government officials upon arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport

Jamaica is ready to move towards removing the Queen as head of state and becoming a republic as soon as Prince William and Kate complete their Caribbean tour, according to reports.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were accused of benefitting from the ‘blood, tears and sweat’ of slaves as they arrived in Jamaica on Tuesday to be met by a protest calling for reparations from the British monarchy.

And the Advocates Network coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians wrote an open letter detailing 60 reasons why the monarchy should compensate the country.

It is now understood that Jamaica’s decoupling has been discussed at the ‘highest levels’ in government, with one political source even saying a senior figure had been appointed to oversee the changeover.

Another political insider told The Independent : ‘The government has had to start the process; the road to becoming a republic is not an easy one but they have long been coming under significant pressure to do it.’

But in contrast to the angry scenes outside the embassy, during the royals’ Trench Town visit there were screams of delight as the duke attempted to keep up with Kingston-born Sterling. 

Before they left, the couple went into a neighbouring courtyard where a group of reggae musicians were singing Rastafarian nyabinghi chants backed by drummers.

Kate was quickly coaxed into trying out a drum, but William took more convincing before joining in a royal jamming session with the singers and other drummers.

Chatting to women and men from the bobsleigh team, the duke and duchess also talked about the popular movie Cool Runnings which immortalised the 1988 Jamaican Winter Olympics team.

The duke said: ‘One of our favourites, ah so good.’ The future king also played with one of his sporting heroes, England and Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling, in a match with local young footballers.

Those gathered burst into rapturous applause every time the football star touched the ball and gave screams for the duke – some of them ironic – when he fluffed a shot.

Dozens of locals stood behind a wire fence to watch the sporting spectacle unfold and others sat on roofs to get a better view.

The footballer, who was been given special dispensation by England manager Gareth Southgate to travel to Jamaica ahead of the national team playing at the weekend, and the royal were joined on the pitch by a player from William’s beloved Aston Villa team Jamaican Leon Bailey.

The England striker, who was mobbed by the spectators, said about his Southgate: ‘He said to me an opportunity like is a great one and it’s an experience that will live with you forever.’

He was there as part of his efforts to improve social mobility for young people. His Raheem Sterling Foundation has set out plans to work with partners in Jamaica, Manchester and London to give disadvantaged youths opportunities to break out of poverty.

When William, president of the Football Association, was first taken over to meet Sterling and Bailey, he turned to Kate and said: ‘Two heroes of mine. These two are the fastest in the team.’ 

It follows reports that Jamaica is ready to move towards removing the Queen as head of state and becoming a republic as soon as William and complete their Caribbean tour. 

The Advocates Network coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians wrote an open letter detailing 60 reasons why the monarchy should compensate the country.

It is now understood that Jamaica’s decoupling has been discussed at the ‘highest levels’ in government, with one political source even saying a senior figure had been appointed to oversee the changeover. 

Prince William greets members of the military shortly after arriving in Jamaica ahead of a two-day tour of the Caribbean island

Prince William stands as he and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge continue their tour of the Caribbean

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a reception hosted by the Governor General of Belize at Cahal Pech yesterday

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB) in Belize yesterday

The Duke and Duchess visit the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB) in Belize yesterday

The couple were taught how to survive, live and fight in the jungle environment by troops in Belize yesterday

Kate yesterday in Hopkins, a village on the coast which is considered to be cultural centre of the Garifuna community in Belize

The Duke of Cambridge dances during a traditional Garifuna festival in Belize yesterday during the tour of the country

William quickly got his wife involved in the dancing in Belize as bystanders gathered to take pictures of the royal couple 

Another political insider told The Independent: ‘The Government has had to start the process; the road to becoming a republic is not an easy one but they have long been coming under significant pressure to do it.’

BAZAAR.com also reported that the Government has started the ‘long and arduous process’ and aims for it to be completed by August 6 – exactly 60 years after Jamaica gained its independence from the UK.

Marlene Malahoo Forte, who was Jamaica’s attorney general until January, in December told the local newspaper Jamaica Observer that she had received instructions from Prime Minister Andrew Holness to reform the constitution to become a republic.

A senior government official speaking to Bazaar.com said it will be ‘full steam ahead in the coming weeks and months’, and another source added that while there had been ‘some pushback’ from Members of Parliament it was not the majority.

It is unclear how the plans will now progress, as both sources said there are no plans for a referendum, which would be required under Jamaica’s constitution and makes the move more complicated than in smaller Barbados – which was able to make the change via an Act of Parliament.  

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