This trip was organized by Queen Elizabeth II, William’s grandmother, and is meant to strengthen U.K. ties with Commonwealth countries. It also marks 70 years of William’s reign.
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 at the foothills the Maya Mountains. Channel 7 Belize News reported that residents of the village are at odds with Flora and Fauna International (a conservation charity William supports) and is seeking to have them cease and desist from their patronage.
According to Kensington Palace, the royal couple had to move their visit to another location due to sensitive issues in Indian Creek. According to the government of Belize, “another venue was selected 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.
While the queen is highly respected in the region, many feel Britain has a callous attitude towards 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.