After residents protested the royals’ presence, William and Kate cancelled a big engagement scheduled for the start of their Caribbean tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were scheduled to visit a cocoa plantation in Belize on the first full day of their vacation on Sunday, but their office has now withdrawn the event off the itinerary.
The controversy threatens to overshadow the commencement of the couple’s eight-day vacation to Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and also raises doubts about the trip’s organisation.
READ MORE: The first image captured by the renowned Webb telescope defines physics principles.
Demonstrators had spoken out against the royals’ visit because of a dispute over “contested land” between inhabitants of Indian Creek village and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), the conservation organisation that William supports as a patron.
According to local Belize media station Channel 7, the landing place for the Cambridges’ helicopter prompted further complications due to reports that neighbours were not informed about the location, which is on the local football pitch.
On Friday, a demonstration was allegedly held in opposition to the royal visit to the Akte ‘il Ha cacao estate.
Photographs uploaded on social media showed protesters holding posters that stated, among other things, “Colonial tradition of thievery continues with Prince & FFI.”
The chairman of Indian Creek Village, Sebastian Shol, told the Daily Mail: “That is the message we want to send: we do not want them to land on our territory. They could land everywhere, except on our property.”
“We can confirm that the visit has been changed to a new site owing to delicate concerns impacting the community in Indian Creek,” a Kensington Palace official said. “Further details will be released in due course.”
In a statement, the Belize government stated: “Indian Creek was one of several potential locations. Due to concerns in the hamlet, the Belizean government activated its contingency plans, and another location has been chosen to highlight Maya family enterprise in the cocoa business.”
According to Channel 7, the crisis stemmed from disputes between residents and the state over the “meaning of consent in the context of community land rights – rights to lands that were purged by the British during the colonial period.”
The Cambridges will be flown by Voyager, the ministerial jet, along with their 15-person entourage, which is expected to include Kate’s hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker and other personal employees, as well as private secretaries and their press office team.
Highlights of the couple’s visit will include a sailing race in the Bahamas in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, where they will resume their friendly athletic rivalry.
The Cambridges are set to commemorate the island’s musical and sports legacy in Jamaica, with Usain Bolt, rumoured to be in attendance.
For more latest updates visit here geeksultd.com
