Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Caribbean Tour: See Photos

The royals are on the move! Prince William and Kate Middleton—also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—touched down in Belize on Saturday to begin a week-long tour also including stops in Jamaica and the Bahamas. This is the couple’s first joint trip overseas since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, though earlier this year, Kate traveled to Denmark and William went to the United Arab Emirates. 

Their Caribbean tour is part of a number of trips and events being held this year in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, or 70th year on the throne, though not everyone sees this as a cause for celebration. People reports that on March 20, William and Kate were forced to cancel a visit to a farm in Belize’s Maya Mountains after locals staged a protest. In addition to the growing negative sentiment about the legacy of colonialism—late last year, Barbados removed the Queen from her ceremonial role as monarch—People reports that the protestors in Belize are involved in a land dispute with a charity of which Prince William is a patron. 

Instead of the planned farm visit in Belize, William and Kate toured the Che’il Mayan Cacao Farm and Chocolate Factory in Maya Center Village, where they ground cacao nibs. They also met with Belize’s Prime Minister and stopped in the village of Hopkins, where they learned about coral reef preservation. Their children, eight-year-old Prince George, six-year-old Princess Charlotte, and three-year-old Prince Louis, did not accompany their parents on the trip, but while sampling chocolate at the cacao farm, Kate reportedly remarked that the kids would be “very jealous.”

Upon their arrival in Jamaica on March 22, a group called Advocates Network staged a protest calling for slavery reparations. Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas are all considered Commonwealth Realms, which means that although they are independent countries, Queen Elizabeth II is officially considered their monarch. However, on the same day the royals arrived in the island nation, Harper’s Bazaar reported that Jamaica has begun the process of removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, just like Barbados did last year.

In Jamaica, the protests did not seem to disrupt the royals’ plans, which included a visit to Kingston’s famous Trench Town neighborhood, where they met soccer star Raheem Sterling, who was born in Jamaica but plays in England, as well as the country’s Olympic bobsleigh team.

The royals arrived in the Bahamas on March 24, where they visited a primary school, attended the Junkanoo Parade, and took place in a race at the Royal Nassau Sailing Club. Travel + Leisure reports that William and Kate stayed at The Cove, one of the five different hotels at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. The final leg of their trip, which ended March 26, was just as marred with controversy and protests as the beginning. 

Before their departure, Prince William released a statement acknowledging the anti-royalty sentiment in the Caribbean. “I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon. But we have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with communities in all three countries, understanding more about the issues that matter most to them,” it read.

Follow along with their trip via the pictures below, and check back for updates.