Prince William and Kate Middleton's Nod to Prince Philip on Their Caribbean Tour
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When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Belize on Saturday to begin their tour of the Caribbean it will be their first major royal tour since the start of the COVID pandemic. It will also be their first since Prince Philip passed away in April last year, with the visit coming almost exactly a year after he died aged 99.
Kensington Palace outlined that the Queen and Prince Philip’s previous visits to Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas “helped to provide inspiration for many of the engagements.” “These are three countries with which Her Majesty has an extremely warm relationship, following multiple visits throughout her reign,” a spokesperson said. Towards the end of their tour, in The Bahamas, William and Kate will take part in a Platinum Jubilee Sailing Regatta, which the Palace said “provides a nod to Prince Philip.” The Duke of Edinburgh was an Honorary Commodore then Honorary Life Member of the Royal Nassau Sailing Club. During a visit to the sailing club in 1959, Philip presented the King’s Cup to winners and took to the water on one of the boats.
The Queen, 95, remains head of state in all three of the Caribbean countries on the Cambridges’ tour. She last visited Jamaica during her Golden Jubilee year in 2002 and last stopped in Belize and The Bahamas in 1994. William and Kate's trip comes just a few months after Barbados replaced the Queen as head of state, the first country to do so since 1992. The move has sparked discussions about whether other Caribbean nations will soon do the same, and the Cambridge’s tour has been described by many as a “charm offensive.”
Their week-long visit will see the couple learn about the impact of the COVID pandemic on communities and hear about projects working with young people and the environment. “As with previous overseas visits, The Duke and Duchess have asked that this tour allows them to meet as many local people as possible. Over the course of their time in the Caribbean, Their Royal Highnesses will meet a wide variety of groups, including children, young people and families, frontline workers, service personnel, leaders from government, business and the charity sector as well as inspiring conservationists and early years professionals,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.
As well as the expected official welcomes and meetings with dignitaries, the couple have a packed and varied program. In Belize they will stop at ancient Mayan archaeological site Caracol in addition to spending time with a British Army Support Unit in the jungle. In Jamaica they will see some of the country’s work and research with the early years as well as meeting mothers and babies at Spanish Town Hospital. And in the Bahamas they will hear about the impact of Hurricane Dorian, which hit in 2019, while also seeing the work of 2021 Earthshot Prize Winner Coral Vita, which is based on Grand Bahama. “This is the first time that The Duke has visited the site of an Earthshot Prize Winner or Finalist – he is very much looking forward to seeing Coral Vita’s work in action,” a spokesperson said.
The trip is being funded by a combination of the host countries, the Sovereign Grant (which is the money given to monarchy by the British public purse each year) and Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The couple will be traveling with a staff of 15 people, including private secretaries, communication teams and other staff.
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