On Saturday, the couple will travel for a week to Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, arranged the trip to improve the U.K.’s relations with Commonwealth countries. This is in honor of the queen’s 70th year on the throne.
The couple’s trip was canceled after a visit to a Belizean cacao farm was cancelled by local opposition.
Local reports claim that a protest was held on Friday against the royal visit at Akte ‘il Ha, the cacao farm located in Indian Creek village, in the foothills the Maya Mountains. Channel 7 Belize News reported that there was a dispute between the village residents and Flora and Fauna International (a conservation charity William supports) as its patron.
According to Kensington Palace, the royal couple had to change the location because of sensitive issues in Indian Creek. The government of Belize stated that another venue was chosen to show Maya family entrepreneurship within the cacao industry.
They are also known as the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. The couple will finish their trip in the Bahamas where they will compete in a sailing regatta to honor the queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
William, 39, follows Prince Charles, his father, to the throne.
The queen is highly respected in the region. However, many people accuse Britain of having a callous attitude to its colonies. This sentiment has been amplified by the U.K.’s treatment for many Caribbean immigrants who arrived in Britain to help rebuild a country that was destroyed during World War II.
Some people from the Caribbean, who have lived legally in Britain for many decades, were denied housing, jobs, or medical treatment. In some cases, they were even deported because they didn’t have proper paperwork. Despite the British government’s apology and offering to compensate, the scandal caused great anger in both the U.K. as well as in the Caribbean.
As some Caribbean countries consider the possibility of removing the queen from power, the royal couple is making their first overseas trip since the coronavirus pandemic started two years ago. Barbados severed all ties with its queen in November and transformed from a constitutional monarchy into a republic. Jamaica also discussed the possibility of becoming a republic, but has not made any moves.
The longest-reigning monarch of Britain, Elizabeth 95, has stopped traveling internationally and drastically reduced her public duties. After spending the night in hospital in October, her doctors ordered Elizabeth to rest. She recently recovered from COVID-19.
The future of the Commonwealth is also in doubt. It is an organization of 54 countries, many of which were former British colonies. The Commonwealth is a loose alliance of small and large countries, from India to Tuvalu to the far-flung South Pacific. It has struggled to establish a place on the international stage.
The queen’s commitment to almost all of its members has been a major factor in the survival of the Commonwealth. She has often visited them multiple times. Many question the viability of the organization after the Queen is replaced by Prince Charles.