On Wednesday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate that his country wants to be “independent” and address “unresolved” issues, a day after protesters demanded that the United Kingdom pay reparations for slavery.

The royal couple arrived in Jamaica on Tuesday as part of a week-long tour of former British Caribbean colonies, but their visit has sparked public debate about the legacy of the British Empire.

Later that day, in a speech, Prince William did not address calls to depose his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, as head of state.

The royal couple’s trip comes after Barbados became a republic nearly four months ago by removing the queen as the sovereign head of state, a move Jamaica has begun to study.

“There are issues here which as you would know are unresolved,” Holness said during a photo shoot with William and Kate.