Belize rolls out the red carpet for William and Kate: Royals kick-start their Commonwealth tour

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last night landed in Belize at the start of their eagerly awaited – but diplomatically sensitive – Caribbean tour.

The visit, designed to bolster links at a time of growing republican sentiment, got off to a rocky start thanks to a row over colonialism. 

But despite that – and their flight arriving 30 minutes late – the couple smiled as they descended the steps of their plane.

Kate wore a blue outfit by designer Jenny Packham and William opted for a light-blue coloured suit as they arrived at Belize City Airport in an RAF Voyager jet.

They received a 21-gun salute quite unlike what they are used to – with three miniature cannons on small, white tables fired by uniformed men pulling on strings. The Duke then inspected a guard of honour.

William and Kate were greeted on the tarmac by Governor-General Froyla Tzalam and later met Belizean Prime Minister Johnny Briceno.

During the eight-day tour – their first foreign trip together since the start of the pandemic – the couple will also visit Jamaica and the Bahamas. They are travelling with an entourage of 15, including a hairdresser, private secretaries and press team. 

While the warm sunshine and clear blue waters of the islands beckon, there is much work to be done to bolster support across the Caribbean.

In January, Prince Charles attended a ceremony in Barbados at which the Queen was formally removed as the country’s head of state. 

And Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said he plans to follow suit, leaving William and Kate with a delicate mission.

The Cambridges have, however, become adept at charm and diplomacy and the trip will emphasise the Royal Family’s long and close links with the Caribbean. 

Their spokesman described the three countries they are visiting as those ‘with which Her Majesty has an extremely warm relationship’.

William previously visited Belize 20 years ago as part of his jungle training in the Army. A Palace spokesman said the tour would be ‘a trip down memory lane’ for the Duke.

It has, however, caused some awkwardness at home. 

The Mail on Sunday understands that Prince Charles had privately questioned the wisdom of scheduling the visit when he will be making his own historic two-day trip to Ireland. A source said pointedly: ‘How do you compete with the Cambridges in the Caribbean sun?’

The last Royal visit to Belize was a decade ago, when Prince Harry marked the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. He danced at a street party, prompting Bob Marley’s widow, Rita, to describe him as ‘a gift from God’, and he raced Usain Bolt. 

Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaica’s then prime minister who had been demanding an apology from Britain for slavery, became a giggling schoolgirl in his presence.   

Will and Kate’s trip, taken at the behest of William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, is intended to strengthen the UK’s ties with Commonwealth countries as the queen marks 70 years on the throne. 

They had been due to travel to Indian Creek, home to fewer than 1,000 people. 

The couple planned to visit the Akte’iL Ha cacao farm in the foothills of the Maya mountains, a prime example of sustainable farming.

But the village of Indian Creek has been in open conflict with Flora and Fauna International, a charity which owns an adjoining, contested property. William has been FFI’s patron since 2020, the latest in a line of royals stretching back to George VI. 

Villagers are involved in a highly emotional fight against the state and FFI, which works to protect ecosystems worldwide, over the rights to lands lost in the colonial era. 

In particular they are angry about 12,000 acres of land that agents working for FFI have told them is ‘private property’ and not for communal use.

The indigenous Q’eqchi Maya people say they were not consulted about William and Kate’s visit and this week held a community meeting that was followed by yesterday’s protest. 

Sebastian Shol, chairman of Indian Creek village, said: ‘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.’

Village youth leader Dionisio Shol said the way the visit had been handled raised the issue of ‘colonialism’.

He said: ‘For us it really hits right at home because of the treatment. The organiser said we had to let them use the football field and that people were coming to our village and it had to look good.

‘But they didn’t want to divulge who. Eventually somebody said it was Prince William coming to our village. That’s where the first issue arose. These are high-profile people, we respect them, but they also have to be giving respect to the community leaders. Giving community leaders commands did not sit well with the community.’ 

The police refused to allow them to protest during the planned visit tomorrow because of security concerns, so villagers staged a demonstration yesterday carrying banners reading ‘Prince William leave our land’ and ‘Colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince and FFI’.

Dionisio said that although their issue was with the charity, they believed William had to take responsibility as its patron.

There was no comment from Kensington Palace but aides confirmed that the visit had now been scrapped and the couple would make alternative arrangements.

It is understood that the visit, including the landing of the helicopter, was being organised by local officials. FFI is said to have bought the land at the disputed site, Boden Creek, in December last year to protect it, fighting off interest from bidders who wanted to use it for agriculture.

Sources said the ‘ecological integrity’ of Boden Creek was under threat and FFI secured the land for the benefits of conservation, local communities and as a national asset for Belize as a whole.

A spokesman said: ‘FFI will conserve and protect the extraordinary wildlife of Boden Creek, while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of local people.

‘Nature protection has to go hand in hand with people’s right to secure their livelihoods and to preserve their traditional and human rights.’

In a statement to the Mail the Government of Belize said: ‘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.’  

Prince Charles considers plan to give refugees shelter at Dumfries House estate as senior Royals are united in efforts to help Ukrainians fleeing the horrors of war 

By Patricia Kane for the Mail on Sunday 

Senior Royals are considering plans to open some of their homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the horrors of war.

Aides to the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William are understood to be examining a range of ‘practical measures’, including the possibility of jobs and training courses, as well as providing accommodation.

Charles is said to be looking at finding spaces on his Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire as well as sites across his Duchy of Cornwall holdings, which include a number of holiday homes.

The Queen’s Balmoral estate on Royal Deeside and Sandringham in Norfolk, which are both private and not funded by the taxpayer, could also provide space in holiday-rental cottages and offer temporary tourism-related and hospitality jobs.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘All the households are united in this – the Queen, Charles and William – with all three agreed that they should find a practical way to help Ukrainian refugees.

‘It means looking at accommodation options in England, including the Duchy of Cornwall, where Charles has a lot of holiday homes, and Scotland, where he has Dumfries House and the Queen has her Balmoral estate.’

The Queen, Charles and his wife Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have all donated to a coalition of 15 British charities working on the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal.

Charles and William have also spoken out in support of Ukrainians resisting Russian aggression, but it is understood they are keen to do more as Britons prepare to welcome refugees under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

An insider at Dumfries House said the Prince’s Foundation, a charity that manages the 2,000-acre estate, was actively looking at how it could help Ukrainians with work, courses and accommodation.

The estate’s education centre regularly offers training courses in skills from horticulture and sustainable farm practices to engineering. A Royal spokesman last night said: ‘The Royal Household is looking at a number of ways to offer practical help and support.’

The royal family in Belgium last week said it would host three families of Ukrainian refugees. Last year, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde housed some of those who lost their homes in flooding.

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), a body that represents country estates north of the border, last week said it had received pledges to provide help from more than 40 landowners.

It is understood that SLE approached Balmoral, the Queen’s private 50,000-acre estate, which will open to the public next month and is currently advertising for waiting and housekeeping staff as well as ‘visitor enterprise assistants’ with accommodation provided.

William and Kate have also offered to use their Royal Foundation to provide support for Ukrainians with mental health problems after the horrors they have witnessed. Dee Ward, Vice Chair at SLE, said: ‘As estates are rural businesses, many are in the fortunate position of being able to offer not just accommodation but also employment opportunities.

‘There will be many Ukrainian people with experience and talent in farming, food production and hospitality that can be of real value to our rural communities. We are under no illusion how difficult it will be for Ukrainians coming here, but we want to work with the Scottish and UK governments to provide opportunities for individuals and families wherever we can.’