In honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed to the Caribbean and Belize was their first stop. Queen Elizabeth is the first Monarch in history to have achieved this milestone, only granted after 70 years of service.
Prince William and Duchess Kate arrived in Belize on Saturday, March 19, and were greeted by the guard of honor from the Belize Defense Force assembled at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport.
After the symbolic arrival and performance, prince William met the personnel who would be joining him on the trip to various parts of the country.
They later met with Belize’s Prime Minister and first lady, both who wore elegant white attires embroidered with traditional Maya decor while the Duke and Duchess donned attires in Belize’s Royal Blue color.
On Sunday March 20 the Jubilee Tour led the couple to Southern Belize, where they visited the Che’il Mayan Chocolate Factory. Both took part in the process of traditional chocolate making that included picking out Cacao seed pods and grinding them with the use of traditional Maya utensils.
After the Chocolate Factory Tour, the couple headed to the coastal village of Hopkins where the Garifuna community eagerly awaited the Prince and Duchess dressed in their traditional outfits dominated by black and yellow colors.
Here the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were seen enjoying the charm of Belize’s Caribbean coast. They engaged in dancing with community members, the symbolic planting of a tree, and making & tasting traditional Garifuna food.
On Monday March 21 the British High Commission located in the capital city of Belmopan, published via their Facebook page that the Duke and Duchess will be exploring Belize’s adventure capital – the Cayo district.
They visited the ancient Maya metropolis of Caracol, observe the jungle training of the British Army (BATSUB) & the Belize Defense Force (BDF), ending with a meet and greet of NGOs that focus on the protection and conservation of Belize’s protected areas.
The Duke & Duchess are scheduled to stay in the country until Tuesday morning, then head on to Jamaica and the Bahamas where The Queen’s Jubilee Tour comes to an end.
Check back for more updates including photos and videos of Prince William and Duchess Kate’s royal visit to Belize.