Harry and Meghan pose with republic-backing PM at film premiere in Jamaica

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a surprise trip to Jamaica to attend a film premiere honouring Bob Marley.

Harry and Meghan were photographed with Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness at the screening of Bob Marley: One Love, which celebrates the late reggae singer’s life, in Kingston.

Mr Holness is pushing ahead with plans to make Jamaica a republic.

He told the now-Prince and Princess of Wales during their 2022 tour to the Caribbean that his country is “moving on” and intends to “fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country”.

The Sussexes’ appearance came as Harry’s father, the King, prepares to undergo hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate, and Kate remains in hospital after abdominal surgery.

They also posed with Jamaica’s minister of legal and constitutional affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte.

Mrs Malahoo Forte told Sky News ahead of the King’s coronation last May that an “urgent” referendum could be held as early as 2024 to “sever ties” and remove Charles as Jamaica’s monarch.

“(Republicanism) is about us saying goodbye to a form of government that is linked to a painful past of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade,” she said.

Meghan, 42, wore a long, black A-line gown with gold earrings and had her hair in a slicked-back bun, while Harry, 39, was dressed in a dark suit and open-necked white shirt.

The couple looked relaxed as they posed for photos with Paramount Pictures chief executive Brian Robbins at the Carib 5 cinema in the capital.

Marley’s son Ziggy was also in attendance.

Mr Holness posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The premiere of the Bob Marley: One Love movie in Jamaica signifies a momentous occasion for our nation and the global community.

“Bob Marley’s ability to connect people through his music, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries, has made him a symbol of unity and resilience.

“As we celebrate the premiere of this film, let us reflect on the enduring impact of Bob Marley’s work, recognising the importance of his contribution to global conversations on peace, love, and social change.”

The biopic will be released in February and stars British actors Kingsley Ben-Adir as Marley and Lashana Lynch as his wife, Rita.

Harry travelled to Jamaica in 2012 representing his grandmother, the late Queen, during a celebratory Diamond Jubilee tour.

The overseas trip was hailed a resounding success, with Harry sprinting with Olympic 100m champion Usain Bolt and dancing to Marley’s music in Kingston.

He showed off a talent for diplomacy by hugging and holding hands with then-Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson-Miller just hours after she repeated her intention to hold a referendum to remove Elizabeth II as head of state.

Meghan married her first husband, film producer Trevor Engelson, on a beach in Jamaica 2011, with the couple divorcing less than two years later.

The former Suits star also wrote on her now-defunct lifestyle blog that her mother took her to visit the slums of Jamaica when she was 10 to teach her about the “harsh realities” of life.