It is a great pity that the Chief Minister of Anguilla declined to accept the invitation to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine (Kate) Middleton at the famous Westminster Abbey in Central London this week Friday, April 29.

It is even worse when one considers that the Executive Council, of which he is a key member, declared April 29 a public holiday in Anguilla, one of the British Overseas Territories, to mark the auspicious occasion. To order the stoppage of work for this celebration, and in some cases thereby losing the power to earn, is not only an acknowledgment of respect for the Royal Family, and Anguilla’s British heritage, but a sacrifice and homage for a good and patriotic cause and partnership.

Hence for the Leader of our Government not to attend the wedding and thereby convey the loyalty, warmth and good wishes of the Anguillian people, and to have an opportunity to rub shoulders with regional and world leaders, is both embarrassing and confusing to say the least. His decision not to attend the wedding in effect nullifies and casts a shadow over the declared holiday in Anguilla and gives the impression that if he had his own way, there would be none in the first place.

This flawed decision to stay away from the royal wedding may also be rightly or wrongly interpreted as part of his known belligerent stance against British officialdom especially in recent times. No one is setting out to bash the Chief Minister, just for the sake of doing so, but there comes a time when a leader must show some statesmanship regardless of the circumstances in which he finds himself. Though known to make his own decisions, his Cabinet and Advisers must endeavour to advise him to follow a path that would eventually bring much good and respect to himself as a leader and the Anguillian people whom he represents.

To be fair to the Chief Minister, he told the news media in Anguilla that the island could not afford the cost of the trip due to its financial situation. He went a step further when he was quoted as telling the regional media that the invitation to the wedding was delivered to him four weeks after it was sent from London as the Governor informed him that it had been misplaced. He acknowledged, however, that he had sufficient time to attend, but that he told the Governor he would not do so with the Anguilla Government having to foot the bill. Yes, Anguilla has serious financial difficulties, but since his assumption of office, how many times has he travelled abroad incurring expense to the public purse? And was it really so difficult for him to find the money for the royal wedding trip which is certainly not a huge sum for one traveller from Anguilla?

Be that as it may, sometimes we have to be prepared to make sacrifices with faith like the widow who cast her only penny in the collection plate, or the woman who gave away the last dust of flour from her barrel but miraculously received more in abundance. The regional press in Barbados, to which the Chief Minister spoke, said he was “the only leader of a British Dependency in the region not attending” the royal wedding.

Taken at face value or not, that was certainly not a compliment. It may have been more an artful expression of distain and criticism. Further, it may have been an indication that little Anguilla is a laughing stock in the region to have missed being represented at such an occasion that has attracted Kings, Queens, Presidents, Governor Generals, Heads of Missions Prime, Ministers, Dukes, Knights, Ambassadors and other dignitaries, as well as pop stars, from around the world. That leaders of the far-flung Overseas Territories were invited is a demonstration of the special British relationship with those territories.

During his visit to Anguilla in September last year, the Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham, stressed the importance of partnership in a new relationship which Britain had undertaken to foster with its territories. It is believed that the invitation to the royal wedding, so widely distributed among the British territories and dependencies in particular, however small or remote, not counting the Commonwealth of Independent Nations and other countries, has its meaning and fulfillment in that partnership.

The people of Anguilla have long been highly regarded for their affection and loyalty for the British Monarchy. Over the years there had been visits to the island by the Duke of Edinburgh first alone, then, years after, with Queen Elizabeth; in earlier years by Prince Charles as a Marine Soldier; by Princess Alexandra and her husband (after whom our hospital is named) and more recently than all, by Prince Andrew. There had also been visits by top British Government Ministers, Baronesses and other officials. It would therefore have been most pleasing, and an excellentshow of courtesy and protocol, if the Chief Minister had attended the royal wedding both out of respect for the Monarchy and for the new partnership which the British Government wants to forge with its Overseas Territories.

Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, the Premier and Minister of Finance of the British Virgin Islands, put his decision to attend the wedding in fine perspective when he reportedly stated that he felt honoured to have been invited and would take the opportunity to carry with him the warmth and love of the people of his territory. The Chief Minister of Anguilla, though having different personality traits, could have attended the wedding saying virtually the same thing. The BVI, volcano-ravaged Montserrat and all the other Overseas Territories are experiencing the same financial difficulties that Anguilla has, but their leaders are making the sacrifice to attend the wedding.

The absence of the Chief Minister of Anguilla and the reasons he has given are inexcusable, indefensible and regrettable. If he wanted to attend the wedding, he could have found the money, as Minister of Finance, like his colleagues did. Why should he think that the British Government had to pay for his trip? Isn’t there something that Anguilla, aspiring under his leadership for independence, can do for itself rather than looking for a negligible handout?Luckily, it is not expected thatthere will be an empty seat reserved and tagged for the Anguillian leader, either at the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, or the reception at Buckingham Palace, thereby reducing Anguilla’s embarrassment.

The Chief Minister will simply not be there, whether or not he will be missed. Certainly, however, he will miss an opportunity not just to be among the dignitaries, but to proudly represent Anguilla and probably secure any goodwill, mutual understanding or respect which his attendance may eventually bring to the island in the new British partnership with its Overseas Territories. Let’s hope he now opts to remain quiet on the matter as the less he says may be the better.

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