King Charles has hailed the pioneers of the Windrush generation, saying it is crucially important to recognise the “immeasurable” difference they made to Britain.
The king paid tribute to the “indomitable generation” whose arrival in Britain is being marked with events across the land, including a national commemoration service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the crossing at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday.
“History is, thankfully and finally, beginning to accord a rightful place to those men and women of the Windrush generation,” said Charles, in the foreword of a book that accompanies a display of portraits celebrating the Windrush generation in the week marking the 75th anniversary of the crossing.
“The 10 portraits in this series, together with the tributes to other members of that indomitable generation, are a small way to honour their remarkable legacy.”
The celebrations come after the Windrush scandal, exposed by the Guardian in 2018, in which many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, were denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK.
The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on 22 June 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people to Britain from the Caribbean who answered the call to help fill postwar labour shortages.
Ten new portraits will go on public display for the first time on Thursday at the Palace of Holyroodhouse after being commissioned by the king in 2022.
Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation honours the accomplishments of the Windrush generation and those that followed.
Created by black artists selected by the king, they will be displayed for two weeks on 500 billboards and 600 shopping centre screens across the UK. Last week the 10 people featured were hosted by Charles hosted a Buckingham Palace reception, and given a special preview of the artworks.
In the foreword to the book accompanying the portraits, the king writes: “It is, I believe, crucially important that we should truly see and hear these pioneers who stepped off the Empire Windrush at Tilbury in June 1948 – only a few months before I was born – and those who followed over the decades, to recognise and celebrate the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country.”
He added: “Those pioneers, who arrived in a land they had learned about from afar, left behind all that was familiar to them. Many served with distinction in the British armed forces during the second world war, just as their fathers and grandfathers had in the first world war.
“Once in Britain, they worked hard, offering their skills to rebuild a country during peacetime and seeking opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their families. When they arrived on our shores with little more than what they were able to carry with them, few could hardly have imagined then how they, and those that followed them, would make such a profound and permanent contribution to British life.”
Charles said it was his “sincere hope” that the portraits would serve as a reminder that “our society is woven from diverse threads, each comprising stories of remarkable courage and sacrifice, determination and strength”.
He added: “It is these stories that help light the path of progress and remind us of a fundamental truth: that though we might all be different, every individual, no matter their background, has something unique to contribute to our society in a way that strengthens us all.”
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