Former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson today (April 15) announced his retirement from the United Kingdom-based Privy Council.

The move, actualised on April 14, is an apparent nod of support for Jamaica’s signalled intention to sever ties with the British monarchy and to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

“There now exists in Jamaica, a national consensus that we should effect during our own Diamond Jubilee of Independence, the process of appointing a citizen of our own country as Head of State,” Patterson told the Clerk of the Private Council in a March 30 letter.

“In view of my strong support for this significant change and my determination to that end, I regard it as prudent and timely to retire from the Privy Council with immediate effect,” Patterson added.

Since 2003, Patterson has long advocated for Jamaica to become a republic and has lamented his failure in bringing the transition about during his 14-year leadership as one of his greatest regrets.

Many social media supporters of the Andrew Holness administration were not impressed by Patterson’s declaration, however, labelling his Privy Council retirement as a ‘pressure tactic’ to get the current prime minister to follow suit.

Among the arguments, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters claimed that for Patterson to rescind his Privy Council membership at the age of 87 and not while head of government or immediately after demitting office is seemingly ‘self-serving’.

“Opportunist. 15 yrs late for this statement even tho he spoke on it before being elected Three Times. There was no effort then, his appointment to Counsel brought out the Elite in him. Too Little, tho not too Late. I would have expected better from a Statesman of his Stature,” tweeted user @CitizenJAUS.

Also not missed by the Labourites is that Patterson’s status as Queen’s Counsel is still intact and suggested that if he is truly ‘over the monarchy’, he would greatly persuade the country by recusing himself from that elite membership as well.

Labourites, unfazed by the move, are urging Prime Minister Holness to also keep his Privy Council membership until his retirement, though it could affect how the public perceives his commitment to transition Jamaica to a republic.

Holness was appointed to the Privy Council—Jamaica’s highest court of appeal—in May 2021. In the official government communiqué, it was announced that the prime minister was to attend a meeting of the Privy Council, at the first convenient opportunity, to take the oath or affirm in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.

Much has changed since nearly year-long Holness’ appointment, though, as Barbados heralded its newly found republic status in November 2021.

Even more recently, the prime minister told a visiting Prince William that Jamaica was “moving on” from the monarchy during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Caribbean tour last month.

*A previous version of this article erroneously stated that former Prime Minister PJ Patterson was government leader for 18 years. Send feedback and comments to [email protected] and [email protected].