“HISTORICAL WEIGHT”: PM suggests time to “shed” Queen’s honors

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis suggested yesterday that The Bahamas may need to discontinue the Queen’s honors.

Davis told Parliament the honors were inherited as a part of the nation’s history; however, that “historical weight that infects and influences the mind and goes to our ethos may be required to be shed”.

It was unclear if the prime minister’s sentiment had any bearing on the country’s constitutional ties to the Monarch, which remains the head of state.

Parliamentarians debated an amendment to the National Heroes Awards Honors in the House of Assembly yesterday.

As he congratulated Olympic gold medalist Shanaue Miller-Uibo and silver medalist Devynne Charlton, who were sat in the gallery of the House of Assembly, the prime minister said the performance of the athletes tells us “who we are and who we could be”.

“We ought to be proud of what we are who we are,” Davis said.

“Sir Lynden Pinding I think, during one of his speeches during Independence; at the Independence 50 years ago or shortly thereafter — and I’m thankful to the member from West End [who] shared a part of his speech with me that spoke about the creation of national honors.

He continued: “This was back in 1973. He’s talking about [The Bahamas] having our own national honors, to honor our people in our own way, and to lift those honors up. Now, worldwide we should be hearing the Most Honorable Shaunae Miller receiving the gold medal and then what do we do, we are lifting up our honors. And so, we don’t have to just continually give honors that we would have inherited.

“Yes, it is a part of our history, it is. But sometimes the historical weight that infects and influences the mind and goes to our ethos may be required to be shed, so we can free that mind to ensure we recognize who we are and we can definitely define and know who we are.

“We are world class and I want to congratulate the two ladies for keeping us proud…”

With the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today through Saturday to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, there has been increased national discourse about republicanism and The Bahamas’ colonial ties.

Earlier in the debate, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said anyone who wishes to be “rationally consistent” ought to read the constitution.

He said that attempts to change the document have been contentious and “so you got the constitution you got” with the Queen as the head of state.

To this point, Mitchell said The Bahamas should be prepared to accept the cost of the royal visit.

“And even though people call Elizabeth the Queen of England, she is in fact the Queen of The Bahamas and the head of state,” he said.

“So, in a constitutional sense, these aren’t visitors at all, they (the Duke and Duchess) are actually coming home in the constitutional sense and since you got them, you’ve got to pay for it. That’s the system you have.”

Several groups have announced plans to protest the royal visit.

Priest Rithmond McKinney, head of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress Bahamas branch, said the community is demanding reparations and an apology for the injustices of colonialism and slavery.

Meanwhile, the Bahamas National Reparations Committee said the British royal family must reckon with its legacy of slavery, and colonization and ought not be treated with a trip funded in part by Bahamian taxpayers.

Mitchell said he is confident the royal couple is world-wise and a demonstration is not going to be a huge issue.

He said demonstrations are a part of the “fabric of our democracy”.