How Prince William and Kate Middleton's Caribbean tour is a tribute to the Queen

18 March 2022, 17:17

By Alice Dear

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to embark on a royal tour of the Caribbean this weekend.

Prince William, 39, and Kate Middleton, 40, will be taking off for the Caribbean on Saturday, March 19.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be carrying out a number of engagements during the seven day tour before returning back to the UK on March 26.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be visiting the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize during the visit, which is actually a tribute to the Queen and her Platinum Jubilee.

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When the trip was first announced by Kensington Palace, they made it clear that the tour would be "on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee".

The visit to the Caribbean is especially important to the Queen for many reasons.

The first is that the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize are all part of the Commonwealth and these relationships have the upmost importance to the Monarch.

Secondly, with the Queen marking 70 years on the throne, the timing of this trip comes during a huge milestone in her life.

The event is also big for Kate and William, who are the future of the Monarchy and who have been working very hard to follow in the Queen's footsteps when it comes to duty and service.

According to details from the Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend the first day of the tour visiting "historic Mayan sites and celebrate the rich culture of the Garifuna community as well as exploring the country’s biodiversity".

They will then travel to Jamaica where they will meet with the Jamaican Defence Force as well as celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and "other ground-breaking Jamaican musicians alongside some of tomorrow’s stars".

Their final stop will be in the Bahamas where they will spend time with communities across a number of islands and celebrate the world famous junkanoo parade.

The statement shared on the couple's website also states: "Their Royal Highnesses are keen to understand more about the impact that the pandemic has had across the Caribbean, and how communities have pulled together to respond to the challenges they have faced. Throughout their visit, The Duke and Duchess will take the opportunity to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

"Their programme will also touch on a number of themes that are close to Their Royal Highnesses’ hearts and a key focus of their work with The Royal Foundation, including The Earthshot Prize, mental health and the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes.

"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 the early years workforce."

Read more Royal news:

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• The meaningful way Carole Middleton is honouring the Queen's Platinum Jubilee