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VI gets inclusion in 'British Family’ stained glass windows @ Westminster Palace

-windows made to honour OTs & Crown Dependencies with reminded that group have been overlooked for too long
Sixteen Overseas Territories including the Virgin Islands (VI) and three Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom have had their heraldic shields immortalized as part of a stained glass window set in the Speaker's House in the New Palace of Westminster. Photo: Governor's Office/Facebook
Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley takes a photo at the new stained glass window. Photo: Facebook
Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley takes a photo at the new stained glass window. Photo: Facebook
LONDON, UK- Sixteen Overseas Territories (OTs), including the Virgin Islands (VI), and three Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom have had their heraldic shields immortalised as part of a stained glass window set commissioned at Speaker's House in the New Palace of Westminster.

Unveiled on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, the windows will be a permanent and tangible reminder of the ‘strong and close’ links between the UK, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay H. Hoyle detailed. 

The two windows represent "part of our United Kingdom family", he said while adding that "Every single person coming into Speaker's House will be reminded of how closely we are connected.

"In my opinion, the OTs and Dependencies have been overlooked for too long - yet many of the decisions we make here in the UK have a huge impact on their futures,” the Speaker added.

Speaker seeing platform for OT representation

“They are important to me – they are part of our United Kingdom family - and I want to provide them with a platform on which to speak, to air their concerns, to share experiences and to enable us to learn from each other."

"From now on, every single person coming into Speaker’s House will be reminded of how closely we are connected," he said.

Attending the unveiling ceremony on behalf of the Virgin Islands (VI) were Governor John J. Rankin, GMG, Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), Deputy Premier Hon Lorna G. Smith OBE (AL), Financial Secretary Jeremiah G.A. Frett, Premier's Office Permanent Secretary Ms Carolyn E. Stout Igwe and Director of the London Office Tracy Bradshaw. 

The windows were commissioned by UK Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Hoyle, and designed by John Reyntien to honour the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies with the inclusion of their respective coat of arms to provide a visible and long-lasting presence in the Houses of Parliament.

The stained glass windows feature coats of arms from Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Anguilla, Ascension, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territories, [British] Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

24 Responses to “VI gets inclusion in 'British Family’ stained glass windows @ Westminster Palace”

  • Help (16/05/2023, 07:21) Like (38) Dislike (12) Reply
    hello we dont need to be on any glass window: our people need to be paid for the whips and chains are we going backwards
  • HMMM (16/05/2023, 07:53) Like (24) Dislike (7) Reply
    These people know how to play with our minds to make us feel confident in them so they can try to keep us enslaved. Premier be very careful and wise.
  • wha dis mean?.STRUPES (16/05/2023, 08:27) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    He is coming back with empty hands....UK aint giving us a dime!
  • resident (16/05/2023, 08:27) Like (20) Dislike (8) Reply
    still doesn't make up for the legacy of slavery
    • @resident (16/05/2023, 16:11) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Emancipate yourself from mental slavery!!! Drop the mental chains that you are still wearing.
  • DONT TRY TO FOOL US MR FAKER (16/05/2023, 08:30) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    NOTHING NEW HERE, JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT'''WE ALL KNOW THAT WE BELONGS TO GREAT BRITAIN
  • he is suffering from (16/05/2023, 08:31) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    Willy Lynch or John Crow syndrome
  • Madussa (16/05/2023, 08:34) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    If they already have the BVI in stained glass, they have all intentions of keeping complete rule over us and we never getting independence. This is nothing to smile about. These OTs are forever theirs.
  • Mavis Beacon (16/05/2023, 08:35) Like (8) Dislike (6) Reply
    Glass window? Wtf.... nobody gives a f&@! about glass windows, we need reparations
    • @Mavis Beacon (16/05/2023, 16:23) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Reparation? The BVI is the probably the only place in the Caribbean where former slaves were given the estate and own the land of former slave owners. Go to long look and read the declaration at the stickett For those of you who are thinking that money would compensate for the atrocities of slavery, I weep for you! Reparation should seek to return our people to their former status and that would mean taking us back to our ancestral lands in Africa and reuniting us with our people and culture but most of us only thinking about money
  • Just saying (16/05/2023, 08:41) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    Why not give us a 30 £ grant instead of a silly widow symbol that means zero

    Showanda needs to come better with the mother country
  • That's all this is (16/05/2023, 08:59) Like (7) Dislike (4) Reply
    The mark of the beast
  • Run, BVI, Run (16/05/2023, 10:04) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Stained glass window? That does nothing for us. We are not a part of them. Them want to continue to rule us. We want freedom from them. If we don't, we will live to regret it, our children. Walk away frim those Colonizers.
    Saw the gold carriage Charles for Elizabeth rode in? Where he got that gold? England has gold mines? People the Colonizer has not changed. Run from them.
  • watch out (16/05/2023, 10:38) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    These people have been known for midevil rituals. Their hands are not clean. This is demonic and of the devil and we must Pray to God to remove us from the bondage they have now engraved the BVI & other Caribbean OT in trying to make sure we never broke free. Wake up people. If this was done locally most would have seen it for what it is which is spiritual wickedness. Stop playing blind to their evil ways.
  • Jane (16/05/2023, 10:39) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    As a British Ex-pat I really wish the UK would try a bit harder on the PR exercise. A stained glass window in a building thousands of miles away which is not open to the public is a waste of time. Wouldn't it be nice if the UK funded a national gallery or cultural centre here in BVI to promote local artists but also provide a few Picassos or old Masters from the Royal Collection so that people here can enjoy some of the fruits of 1,000 years of looting the World and an additional tourist attraction to grow our economy. Heck they can even call it the King Charles Gallery. Or what about providing sports facilities for local children? Or even taking care of their own house here: properly renovate old Governor's House.

    If the UK wants to retain its OTs then it has to show it through love (i.e. money). It's great the Brits turn up when there is a hurricane but it would be nice to see the love on an ordinary day too.

  • ... (16/05/2023, 11:25) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    LADIES N GENTS A LOCAL CLOWN AT ITS FINIEST

  • cost (16/05/2023, 12:58) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    There has to be a cost. What's the cost?
  • Hmm (16/05/2023, 14:21) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    And we just a ???? stain to the UK. Keep your damn window!
  • Get going government (16/05/2023, 14:22) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    You are gaven a new chance. You should have started working from the next day. You all think you can get comfortable by heading off to the uk and parading with such things and think we are in agreement with you. Start to work and stop having these side talks and exhibiting yourselfs like things are so sweet in the Bvi. Almost all of you was out the country for a new government. Not a thing was done just pretty pictures. Cut out the social get up and get down to business. Lorna I don't want to see this same old same old, get your hands dirty and have a massive clean up of the Bvi. We blame the Uk but you all just putting on a show for them, what you expect them to think we don't need nothing.
  • who cares (16/05/2023, 18:23) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Fir heavens sake. A window in UK? Please gimme a break

    If it was a picture of The Baths, Coppermine, Foxys or something significant and historical in BVI I would say ok.

    We ain't even know what coat of arms is. I never learn that in school self
    • @Who cares (17/05/2023, 08:27) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
      Clicked like by accident. Speak for yourself about not knowiing the coat of arms . Looks like you missed some classes in school or you do not keep up with what is happening around you. Vigilate.
  • ReX FeRal (16/05/2023, 20:17) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    John Bull got you again
  • Woopie (16/05/2023, 21:02) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Clap clap clap, we're so honored to get a window in London. Yeahhhh....struppppes. what will a stain glass window do for us or wouldn't do for us. Hey, the sun hotter than ever. We got important things to do instead of dancing over stupid essays. Can we get some work done and get this place clean up?
  • Gadaman (18/05/2023, 17:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is nothing newsworthy nor to be proud of. Ayuh house n!gg@$ holding us back mehson.


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