The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been forced to cancel their
first major visit on their Caribbean royal tour after facing backlash from local
residents.
Prince William and Duchess Kate had
planned to tour a cacao farm in Indian Creek village during the first full day
of their tour on Sunday but have now been forced to find another location after
residents opposed their royal trip.
The Government of Belize confirmed in a statement: “Indian Creek
was one of several sites being considered. Due to issues in the village, the
Government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has
been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao
industry.”
Several issues have been reported by local Belize media outlet Channel
7, including a claimed dispute between residents of Indian Creek village in
Belize’s Toledo District and Flora and Fauna International, the conservation
charity William supports as patron.
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The Cambridges’ will arrive in Belize on Saturday
Sebastian Shol, chairman of Indian Creek village, told the Daily
Mail: “We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message
that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land.”
The royals are due to arrive in Belize on Saturday afternoon, local
time, and will be welcomed at the airport by the country’s Governor-General
Froyla Tzalam and later travel to the centre of Belize City for an official
meeting with Prime Minister Johnny Briceno.
Last month, Buckingham Palace confirmed that William, 39, and Kate, 40,
will travel to Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas from 19 to 26 March as part of
a royal tour of the Caribbean.
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Kate and William will also visit Jamaica and The Bahamas
Kensington Palace shared full details of the Cambridges’ itinerary,
revealing that the couple’s trip to Belize will see them visit historic Mayan
sites and celebrate the rich culture of the Garifuna community as well as
explore the country’s biodiversity.
They will then travel to Jamaica where their visit will include engaging
with the Jamaican Defence Force and celebrating the seminal legacy of Bob
Marley and other ground-breaking Jamaican musicians alongside some of
tomorrow’s stars.
The trip will end in The Bahamas where William and Kate will spend time
with communities across several islands and experience a world-famous junkanoo
parade.
