Bob Marley fans Harry and Meghan attend film premiere

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Meghan, Harry and Andrew HolnessImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Meghan and Harry with the Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness at the film premiere

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long been fans of Bob Marley's "music and message", says a source, as the couple attended a premiere in Jamaica of a film about the reggae singer.

Prince Harry and Meghan were photographed with the Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, at the screening of Bob Marley: One Love.

Mr Holness has spoken of Jamaica "moving on" to become a republic.

Bob Marley's relations were also among the guests at the event in Kingston.

The red carpet screening saw Prince Harry and Meghan joining actors and musicians to watch the film remembering the life of the Jamaican music star.

The couple's surprise attendance at the premiere was as guests of the family of Brian Robbins, chief executive of Paramount Pictures, with sources saying Prince Harry and Meghan were "delighted" to be there.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

There was music at the event marking the launch of the film Bob Marley: One Love

The film, due to be released in the UK next month, stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, who died in 1981, and Lashana Lynch as his wife, Rita.

Mr Holness, posting on social media, hailed the "enduring impact of Bob Marley's work, recognising the importance of his contribution to global conversations on peace, love, and social change".

Prince Harry had been to Jamaica in 2012 on a successful royal trip, remembered for his jokey meetings with Usain Bolt, where the Olympic athlete had called him "cool, very down to earth".

During that visit more than a decade ago, Prince Harry had been asked about Jamaica's drain of talent to the United States and had told reporters: "It doesn't matter how big you are, if you've got talent use it. Don't go running off to America if you've got a clear talent your country needs."

On this week's visit, Prince Harry was pictured with Mr Holness, who has been seen as wanting to push for the country to become a republic, rather than having Britain's monarch as head of state.

When Prince William and Catherine visited the country in 2022, on what became a controversial Caribbean tour, the issue of becoming a republic was raised, along with questions about reparations or an apology over slavery.

Mr Holness had said during that visit, that Jamaica was "moving on".

"We intend to attain in short order our development goals and fulfil our true ambitions and destiny as an independent, developed, prosperous country," he said at the time.

During that visit, Prince William had spoken of his "profound sorrow" over slavery, saying it "forever stains our history". On Jamaica's constitutional future, he said that was "for the people to decide upon".