Jamaica is a sovereign nation, so why does it have a British monarch as ceremonial head of state? That’s what a lot of Jamaicans are wondering, including parliamentarians - who have tabled a bill that would overhaul the constitution so that, instead of King Charles III, a president would fill the role. For many, the British monarchy is tarnished, symbolic of the slave trade and the empire that shackled and exploited the Caribbean nation for so long. It’s part of a trend in the region, where Barbados is the latest former colony to opt for republicanism. A major sticking point that has turned the public mood against the monarchy is its refusal to apologise for slavery or pay reparations.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/13/jamaica-king-charles-republic

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/12/which-countries-will-uks-king-charles-iii-rule-over#:~:text=The%20Commonwealth%20is%20a%20political,Grenadines%2C%20Solomon%20Islands%20and%20Tuvalu