St Lucia
On Sunday 17th March the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall began their 12 day tour of the Caribbean. The tour began with a solo trip by the Prince of Wales in St Lucia, where Prince Charles celebrated the 40th anniversary of the independence of St Lucia. He was received at the airport by Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and Governor-General Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac. He inspected a guard of honour and watched a military parade, as well as a performance by The Helen Folk Dancers. The Prince then presented a Commonwealth Point of Light Award to Dorothy Phillips, who works with cancer patients and their families. Each week someone from one of the 53 Commonwealth countries receives the award, as part of the lead up to the 2020 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda. The award initially ran up to the CHOGM 2018 meeting, but it was so successful the Queen decided to continue it in the run up to the 2020 meeting as well. Ms Phillips said of receiving the award, “I hope that winning this award would encourage others to be more giving and selfless in assisting people in need within their community and St. Lucia at large. I also hope this award will inspire and encourage Saint Lucians to be committed to volunteering their services for the good of their country and others and not think of what is in it for me, but what is in it for my country and my people. I believe this is true patriotism.”
Speaking of St Lucia’s independence, Prince Charles said, “This is a strong society…and one which places special emphasis on family and community. As you celebrate this year everything that St. Lucia has achieved over these four decades of her independence, I know that you also take pride in committing yourselves to building the strongest, brightest future for this country.” He also spoke about the environment and climate change, a topic close to his heart, saying, “I saw for myself the devastation that hurricanes Maria and Irma wrought in Dominica, Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands when I visited those communities in November 2017. Tackling the truly alarming threat of climate change and finding some ways of mitigating the risks it presents is and must continue to be a top priority for the Commonwealth.” The Prince mentioned St Lucia’s participation in the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme, which has helped map it’s seabed. Having visited before in 2008 with the Duchess, the Prince said he was pleased to, “have this opportunity of seeing so many of you once again.”
Barbados
The next stop of the tour was Barbados. They visited government house, and then the royal couple had a meeting with the Prime Minister Ms. Mia Mottley at Parliament, who is the first female prime minister of Barbados. Prince Charles also visited one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere, Nidhe Israel synagogue, which is now a major historic tourist destination and part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Charles unveiled a plaque and had a tour of the Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath. Meanwhile his wife was visiting Derrick Smith School and Vocational Centre, a purpose built facility for adolescents and adults with physical, emotional, social and academic developmental delays. She took part in the Commonwealth Big Lunch event at the school, cutting a cake baked by students, after she had a tour of the school by the principal. The Duchess is patron of the Big Lunch initiative.
The Prince of Wales visited the Field Hospital and Hurricane Response Demonstration at Garrison Savannah, to see how they are responding to disasters, and to tour facilities and meet members of the Barbados Defence Force, the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Red Cross.
Camilla attended an event for Barbadian Women of Influence in her capacity as President of the Women of the World foundation (WoW). HRH was met by Former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados Dame Billie Miller, who was also Barbados’ first female cabinet member, and Founder of the Women of the World Foundation, Jude Kelly, CBE. Charles visited the Soroptimist Village and Hildegaaarde Weekes Activity Centre. Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement with a network of over 75,000 club members in 122 countries, and is working with women and girls on grassroots projects. Charles met residents and toured the Soroptimist village, and saw handicraft projects made by the girls at the activity centre. He also saw a performance from students of Eden Lodge Primary School.
The Duchess saw the work being done by the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre for the Caribbean. It provides a holistic approach to the management of diabetes in Barbados, which has the highest diabetes incidence in the Caribbean. Later on, Charles oversaw the work done locally by the Princes Trust International. The Prince named Lionel Ritchie as the first Global Ambassador and First Chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for The Prince’s Trust. Lionel Ritchie said of the appointment, “Our best ambassadors are the kids, because once they realise ‘I can leave home, I can go to this place, go to this group and be inspired to do excellence’ is the best thing ever. And of course, this island is now infected with that kind of attitude. I just think it’s going to be brilliant.” I think the Prince has worked extremely hard at growing and establishing the Prince’s Trust, that has had such a far reach in helping people. The Prince then gave the Barbadian Heroes Square it’s ceremonial colours. He said, “As you young men and women march off the square today, with your new colours, I express my confidence in the Barbados Coast Guard and the Cadet Corps, that you will carry these newly presented colours with pride, and this confidence is more than justified. For 40 years, you have demonstrated with honour, your commitment, professionalism and dedication to service both locally and regionally, during your period of service to Her Majesty the Queen. In receiving your new colours, you would not only be honouring your country, but also the men and women you now so proudly follow.”
Their Royal Highnesses met cricketing stars, The Barbados Turf Club associates, Barbados Rum Affiliates, Royal Commonwealth Society Members and recipients of The Queen’s Awards during an evening reception at the Prime Minister’s Residence. The Royal Barbados Police Force Band performed during the reception.
St Vincent and the Grenadines
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in St Vincent and the Grenadines to be met by Governor General and the Prime Minister and a Guard of Honour. His Royal Highness visited Prospect Brighton Mangrove Park, the only remaining white mangrove and coastal forest on mainland St Vincent. He was given a tour which he will very much have enjoyed I think, as one of HRH’s main focuses and passions is conservation and the environment. The Duchess attended a roundtable discussion on domestic violence at St Vincent and The Grenadines Community College, with a survivor of domestic abuse and representations from organisations that work on reducing domestic violence. She also met entrepreneurs from the college.
The Prince met those who had completed the Youth Development Summer Programme with the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coastguard. He then met back up with the Duchess for a wreath laying ceremony at Kingstown Cenotaph, to commemorate all who lost their lives in the first and second world wars. They then visited the largest market on the Island, Kingstown Market, and saw the produce being sold by vendors. They also met members of the public, including Sappy, who has been entertaining the crowds there whenever a local cricket, netball or cricket team is playing, as a sports mascot. He said, "Charles said he liked my jersey and he liked my hat and the flag. He asked if I played football, I used to be a goalkeeper but I'm retired." St George’s Cathedral was the next stop for Prince Charles, viewing an historic stained glass window and meet the congregation. The Duchess visited St Vincent Girls’ High School for an event to celebrate the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.
The Prince planted a Soufriere Tree, the national flower of St Vincent and the Grenadines, at the Botanical gardens, and that evening the couple joined the Governor General and the Prime Minister at a reception at the Prime Minister’s official residence. The Prince said, “As we celebrate the Commonwealth's seventieth birthday this year, just behind mine, it seems to me that our Commonwealth family remains as vital today as it has ever been - bringing us together to address some of the most urgent challenges facing our world.”
St Kitts and Nevis
Sir Tapley Seaton, Govenor-General, and Prime Minister Timothy Harris met the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall as they arrived at St Kitts and Nevis. The couple chatted to local residents in Basseterre. They went to the National Museum housed in the Old Treasury Building to learn more of the area’s history and sign a scroll to mark the building’s 125th anniversary.
They embarked on a boat to the island of Nevis, and were created by a colourful masquerade of dancers. The Prince viewed the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, and learnt more about the conservation and sustainable development of the area. Charles visited Brimstone Hill back in 1973 when he opened the Prince of Wales Bastion; this is the value of a monarchy. They can create personal links and connections over a long period of time, building and establishing relationships, as they are in their role for life, as opposed to politicians who are voted in and out of power; there is real value in this. As the longest reigning monarch and the longest serving Prince of Wales, both the Queen and her eldest son have done marvellous work at building relationships between Britain and other countries that have a personal touch.
The Duchess met local women at Hermitage Plantation House, to learn more about life on the island and view an arts and craft display.
At an evening reception hosted by the Governor-General, to mark his 70th birthday and the 70th anniversary of the modern commonwealth, His Royal Highness announced the creation of The Prince of Wales’s Commonwealth Scholarships. Any Commonwealth Nation can participate in subjects HRH’s cares deeply about, including climate change and the blue economy. This shows his personal touch and influence. Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust helped develop the project.
Grenada
Grenada Houses of Parliament hosted a welcome ceremony for their royal highnesses. The Prince of Wales inspected the Guard of Honour before attending a private meeting with the Prime Minister. The couple viewed a variety of exhibitions at a reception, including flowers from the Chelsea Flower Show. They visited a museum, the House of Chocolate, that showcases Grenada’s position as a leader in the production of chocolate. They tasted chocolate bars and Cocoa tea, before meeting farmers and chocolatiers.
They learnt about the agricultural sector at Carenage Exhibition. Young Grenadians are starting a trend of using their traditional knowledge to produce cosmetics for the commercial market, and the couple saw Nut-med, a nutmeg based pain relief cream. They met the owners and founders of Renegade Rum, who are aiming to reintroduce sugar cane into the Grenadian agricultural sector.
The Prince attended a Blue Economy roundtable discussion at Spice Island Beach Resort, before the couple had a private meeting with the Governor-General. They then visited Mount Cinnamon Dive Site to view an exposition on Blue Economy. A farewell ceremony ended their visit.
Cuba
Their royal highnesses made history as they embarked on the first ever royal visit to Cuba; indeed a British prime minister has not visited either, due to Cuba’s communist stance. But following Barack Obama’s visit, it has been deemed safe. They were met at the airport by Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rogelio Sierra Diaz. The Prince laid a wreath before visiting the museum of Jose Marti, a national hero from the 19th century who fought for independence, as well as being an essayist and poet.
The next day the couple went on a walking tour of Old Havana to view the sites and history of the area, and unveil a statue of Shakespeare. The Prince visited a female run bicycle repair and rental business and and Escuela Taller, a workshop which trains young people in restoration techniques. The Duchess visited a maternity home, and watched a performance from a children’s theatre company. The tour concluded with a rehearsal by all-female chamber music group, Camerata Romeu, at the Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Prince met boxers and watched a training session at Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym, which also runs clubs and classes for the community.
At Acosta Danza, an internationally renowned dance studio, Prince Charles presided over the investiture ceremony of Carlos Acosta, founder and director of the studio, as he received his CBE. They watched two performances. The Prince is president of the Royal Ballet, where Carlos Acosta was a guest Principal Dancer.
The next stop was Muraleando Community Centre, which provides free workshops on painting, dance, popular music, percussion, audio-visual and handicrafts aimed at bringing different generations together. Then they visited La Fábrica de Arte Cubano, a converted industrial space which currently houses arts and performance spaces, before an official welcome dinner in the evening, hosted by the President and his spouse, at the Palacio de la Revolución.
The next day began with a classic cars and motorbikes event at John Lennon Square, driving there in a 1953 MG TD. The couple met car owners and participants. Eduard Bermudez, the owner of the 1953 MG TD was a local restaurateur, who said, "To have my car driven by somebody like him - it's in safe hands." The couple listened to songs from the 60’s and 70’s at Submarino Amarillo (Yellow Submarine) Bar in Vedado, where cuban rock bands regularly perform.
Next, they visited Areito EGREM Recording Studios. EGREM (Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales, Spanish for Enterprise of Recordings and Musical Editions) is a renowned record label. Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, and some jazz musicians led the Prince and Duchess in a jamming session, before they listened to Septeto Habanero, a musical heritage group that has been around for 90 years, who performed in the cafe.
The Prince of Wales then went to Mariel Solar Park, which will be the largest solar park in the Caribbean when it is completed. He also saw how a biomass combine harvester is reducing marabu, a rampant weed across Cuba that destroys what could be otherwise productive land. Agriculture has been a key part of this royal tour, and is an area the Prince knows about, as he has trialled better methods of organic production at Highgrove, his estate in Gloucestershire. Consequently, the Prince then visited Finca Marta, an organic farm owned by Fernando and Claudia Funes, and tasted some of their produce, viewing their facilities and equipment, including a weather station run by the Technological University of Havana. Meanwhile, the Duchess was at another roundtable discussion on domestic violence, with the Federation of Cuban Women, hearing how victims have been helped. Dance is a huge part of Cuban culture, and the Duchess visited a community dance centre, watching performances and classes. She said, “That was brilliant. I'm very happy I saw some salsa. I'm trying to learn.” 550 members are taught by volunteers, and costumes (that the Duchess viewed) are made by the dancers’ parents.
The couple then attended an evening Gala Cultural Performance in Gran Teatro Alicia Alonso, featuring The Cuban National Ballet, Acosta Danza and Danza Contemporanea, meeting directors and performers after the Gala.
To end their trip to Cuba, their royal highnesses visited a type of private restaurant that is becoming increasingly popular in the country, called a paladar, viewing cuban speciality dishes. During a mojito demonstration, his royal highness tried his hand at traditional sugar cane grinding with a small hand mill.
The Prince then learnt about research into cancer treatment at the Centre of Molecular Immunology. He also met some researchers from the UK that are conducting joint research there.
The Duchess of Cornwall stopped at the National Equestrian Centre to view demonstrations from Cuba’s National and Future Champions Teams, and met children who are helped by equine therapy at the centre, as well as attending a farrier workshop.
The Prince met artists who have responded to the hurricane which hit Havana in January 2019, by delivering emergency supplies, and saw photos of the damage.
To end their time in Cuba, they attended the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, meeting organisers and winners of an English language essay writing competition, Bridges between Cuba and the UK. A reception with government ministers and officials, British business representatives and Chevening Scholars followed.
Cayman Islands
Arriving in the Cayman Islands, the couple officially opened the new terminal at the Owen Roberts International Airport. Met by the Governor, Martyn Roper; the Deputy Premier, Moses Kirkconnell; and local dignitaries including politicians and airport personnel, the Prince inspected a police Guard of Honour, and received a royal salute, before they met members of the public. The Premier, Alden McLaughlin, and the Governor, met them at Government House.
The Prince also officially opened the the Cayman Brac Swimming Pool, a community facility. He also visited a Year 6 lesson on Marine Conservation at Cayman International School. He was able to talk with students on Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Brac Island, and in Bermuda, through a live internet video chat, as they all watched a live link to divers in the reef. Charles met with Dr Carrie Manfrino, the President of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, and John Clamp, its Director of Operations, and saw an experiment they were undertaking.
and met with the Premier and Governor at an official reception.
At Clifton Hunter School the Prince met the Head Boy, Head Girl, and Principal before heading to a roundtable discussion on sustainability at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park. The Prince went on to learn about a programme for threatened species at Blue Iguana recovery centre, and had a discussion with local business about how the finance industry can assist with environmental projects.
Stephen Fitzgerald, the Unit Executive Officer of the Air Operations Unit, and his team who provided hurricane relief to Turks and Caicos following Hurricanes Irma and Maria two years ago, met the Prince, along with Inspector Andre Tahal, the leader of the Cayman Islands Police Service who arrived in the British Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma.
The Duchess visited Jasmine Villa Hospice with the Governor’s wife Lissie Roper. She unveiled a plaque and cut a ribbon, before touring facilities, and viewing artwork in the central hall of the hospice.
Next, at The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Duchess learned about the work of the Teens and Young Adults Lounge, cutting a cake to mark its 2 year anniversary, and meeting with teenagers who use the Lounge and learning how it helped them.
Thirdly, joined by the Cayman Islands’ Minister of Education, at Georgetown Primary School the Duchess watched a choir performance, met with staff members, and listened to a poetry recital from several students.
To finish off their tour, the couple attended an evening reception and cultural celebration at Pedro St. James. The Governor, the Premier, Members of the Legislative Assembly, crafters, and members of the public were among the guests. The Prince inspected a Guard of Honour, after which the Governor and the Premier gave speeches. Prince Charles then presided over the Investiture Ceremony for Franz Manderson, the Deputy Governor of the Cayman Islands, who was recognised in The Queen’s Birthday Honours last year.
The Prince concluded with a speech, saying, “We are deeply grateful to have been given such a special welcome on all three islands and to have met so many people from such diverse backgrounds who now call these islands home,” he said, per the Cayman Compass. As we leave you this evening, we will take with us the fondest memories of these beautiful islands and the warmth of the Cayman Islands people.”
Conclusion
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall conduct numerous overseas visits and it is this vital work that I believe creates the good relationships enjoyed by Britain with other countries around the world. This tour is no exception, with the couple focusing on issues important to their host nations, as well as their own interests. They have been able to celebrate Caribbean culture and history, and did an excellent job with the first ever royal visit to Cuba; they did not put a foot wrong.