As the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II wind down, the special relationship between the Sovereign and the people of Jamaica comes to the fore. The Queen is head of state and is represented by the Governor General. She has very little power in the governance of the country as a president would have, if Jamaica were to become a republic, and whether she goes or not, it would make no significant difference in the economic and social life of the people. While Jamaicans blame the condition of the country on elected politicians, the Queen who is head of state is spared.

However, many people feel that it is time for the country to change its constitutional system and have a republican type of government with an executive president as head of state.

Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has officially visited Jamaica several times and each time they are warmly welcomed. The first visit was in 1953. It was the first time a reigning sovereign visited Jamaica and the first investiture outside of Britain was held when she knighted Queen’s Counsel Kennedy O’Connor at King’s House. She also opened the Queen’s Highway on the North Coast, the first highway in Jamaica which has stood up well over the years.

Among The Queen’s other official visits were in 1966 in which I first served as chief media coordinating officer; in 1975, she came mainly for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference, then returned in 1983, l994 and 2002. Prior to her arrival here in 1975, a campaign was carried out against the visit by leftists who no longer wanted a non-resident Queen. A counter-offensive was launched and Her Majesty received a tumultuous welcome wherever she went.

Her Majesty’s address to Parliament in 1983 on the occasion of the 21st Anniversary of Independence was most inspiring. It is right, she said, “that Jamaica should pay tribute to the National Heroes who have shaped your history and to the achievements of all the people of Jamaica. In the light of history 21 years may be only a moment, but in this century so furious has been the change of shifting values that young nations have been denied the luxury enjoyed by the older countries of coming to maturity in slower moving ages”.

It was agreed by many that the most successful visits by Her Majesty were in 1983 and l994. Regarding the 1994 visit, Charles Anson, press secretary to the Queen, sent the following letter:

“Dear Ken,

Thank you very much indeed for your very considerable help with all the media arrangements for the Royal Visit. As The Queen told you personally, she and Prince Philip very much appreciated all that you and your team did for them. In many ways Jamaica was the most exacting stop on the tour and the fact that the visit went so successfully on the media side is largely due to the meticulous arrangements you made throughout the preparatory period. I would be most grateful if you could pass on the warm thanks of the Royal Party to Winsome (Vanhorne who ran the press centre) and the other members of your team who helped to make the visit a success.

I thought the coverage in the media was excellent and look forward to seeing any follow-up pieces if you could kindly send them in due course.

The Queen’s arrangements at the Laws Street Training Centre, the Civic Reception in Montego Bay and the splendour of Trooping the Colour will be abiding memories of the tour. It was a great pleasure to work with you and I hope that we shall keep in touch. Please let me know next time you are going to be in London so we can get together…”

For me The Queen’s peech to the Jamaican Parliament on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee visit to Jamaica in 2002 was the most interesting she has ever made here.. She said in part: “As Jamaica prepares this year to mark the 40th anniversary if Independence,it is fitting to reflect both on your contribution during the past 10 years to the strengthening of the Commonwealth and on your potential in the years ahead for further growth and influence within the organisation.

“This Parliament has been one of the significant institutions for the fashioning and strengthening of your democratic society. It has created many important laws to protect the rights of citizens and to promote Jamaica’s effective participation in the global economy through international trade. In recent years you have opened up your deliberations to make your procedures more accessible to the public. It is also encouraging that the government has sought to engage civil society more actively in the process of governance.

“The warmth of the people of Jamaica has always been much in evidence during our visit here. It is the same generosity of the Jamaican spirit which provides you in Parliament and Government with the energy and the will to serve and to lead. And I believe that this country can be justly proud of the outstanding contribution you have made in so many areas of international life. In the fields of scholarship, music and the arts, in the world of sports and in the area of international political dialogue, Jamaicans have continually excelled over many years. It is right to protect this heritage which has served you so well and which has allowed the talents and creative energies of Jamaicans to blossom and flourish.”

One of the highlights of all The Queen’s visits was meeting Jamaican journalists at a social gathering at King’s House.

God save the Queen. Long live the Queen.