William wants to end ‘never complain, never explain’ royal tradition – reports

Ending their trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas at the weekend, the future king acknowledged the monarchy’s days in those nations may be numbered as he stated the future “is for the people to decide upon”.

In a statement reflecting on the tour, William also emphasised who the Commonwealth chooses to be its leader “isn’t what is on my mind”, but what concerned him was its potential to “create a better future for the people who form it”.

He stressed that he and his wife Kate were “committed to service” and saw their role as supporting people, “not telling them what to do”.

A number of newspaper reports on Monday carried comments from sources suggesting William had been doing a lot of thinking about how long-held protocols can be modernised when he ascends the throne.

Changes could include halving staff when he becomes the Prince of Wales, and ending the policy of “never complain, never explain”, the newspapers reported.

William’s statement might be interpreted as a response to days of criticism the couple faced during their eight-day tour, from accusations that Belize locals were not consulted about a royal engagement to calls for slavery reparations in Jamaica.

The couple were also accused of being “tone deaf” after they were seen shaking hands with crowds behind a wire mesh fence in Kingston, and images of the pair riding in the back of a Land Rover were denounced as harking back to colonial days.

Media coverage of the tour has been split, with some emphasising the positive impact of their presence in the Caribbean, while others described the fence photograph as a “PR disaster”.

Barbados replaced the Queen as head of state in November, and elected its first president during a ceremony witnessed by the Prince of Wales.