Prince William and Kate Middleton have landed in Belize to kick off their Commonwealth tour after their first stop had to be canceled due to protests.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic in a royal blue dress and matching handbag, while the Duke looked chic in a gray suit and black tie as they were greeted at the international airport.
The royal couple were pictured meeting with Belizean Prime Minister Johnny Briceno and his wife Rossana at the Laing Building in Belize City as they began their tour on behalf of the Queen to mark her platinum jubilee.
They arrived on RAF Voyager, an Airbus A330 that was repurposed by the UK government in 2015 at a cost of £10m. It is only used for official visits by the royal family or the prime minister.
The pair are on a week-long “charming offensive” in the Caribbean, which will also cover Jamaica and the Bahamas.
But the start of the tour was rocky after the first scheduled event at the cocoa farm had to be canceled after villagers staged a protest against plans to land a helicopter on the soccer field.
Yesterday, the Mail reported exclusively that villagers in the Indian Creek area described the visit as “colonialism” and a “slap in the face.”
They are said to have been particularly angered that William and Kate’s helicopter was allowed to land on the field without consultation.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic in a royal blue dress and matching handbag, while the Duke looked chic in a gray suit and tie as they were greeted with a warm official welcome at Belize airport.
The royal couple are in a week-long “charm offensive” in the Caribbean, which will also cover Jamaica and the Bahamas.
The Duchess of Cambridge arrives in Belize for a week-long Caribbean royal tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet with Belizean Prime Minister Johnny Briceno and his wife Rossana at the Laing Building in Belize City as they begin their Caribbean journey on behalf of the Queen to mark her platinum jubilee.
Prince William on the runway at Belize Airport at the start of his official Caribbean tour.
Will and Kate are led down the red carpet at the Belize airport by masked officials.
Local news channel 7 News captured the moment Will and Kate arrived.
The protest was part of a long-running dispute over communal land rights.
Kensington Palace announced last night that the visit to the village was cancelled.
The trip, undertaken at the behest of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is designed to strengthen Britain’s ties with the Commonwealth countries as the Queen celebrates her 70th birthday on the throne.
They were supposed to go to Indian Creek, which has a population of less than 1,000.
The couple planned to visit the Akte’iL Ha cocoa farm in the foothills of the Mayan mountains, a prime example of sustainable farming.
But the village of Indian Creek is in open conflict with the charity Flora and Fauna International, which owns the nearby contested property. William has been patron of the FFI since 2020, the last member of the royal family ascending to George VI.
The villagers are involved in a very emotional struggle against the state and the FFI, who are working to protect ecosystems around the world, for the rights to lands lost during the colonial era.
In particular, they are outraged that 12,000 acres of land that FFI agents say are “private property” and not public use.
Indigenous Qekchi Maya say they were not consulted about William and Kate’s visit and held a community meeting this week, followed by a protest yesterday.
Three Commonwealth countries are preparing to roll out the red carpet for William and Kate ahead of their arrival later today – amid an extraordinary dispute over indigenous rights. Pictured: Artist Alex Sanker, 51, paints a tribute to Prince William and Kate.
But yesterday’s assault on charm got off to a bad start when Indian Creek villagers (pictured) staged a protest calling the visit “colonialism” and a “slap in the face.”
Sebastian Scholl, Indian Creek village chairman, said: “We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message we want to send. They could land anywhere but on our soil.
Village youth leader Dionisio Shol said the way the visit was organized raised the issue of “colonialism”.
He said: “This is really a blow to the house for us because of the treatment. The organizer said that we should let them use the football field and that people come to our village and it should look good.
But they didn’t want to reveal who. In the end, someone said that Prince William was coming to our village. This is where the first problem arose. These are famous people, we respect them, but they must also respect the leaders of the community. The command of the community leaders did not please the community.”
They are said to have been particularly angered that William and Kate’s helicopter was allowed to land on their football field without consultation. Pictured: Villagers protesting in Belize
The villagers are involved in a very emotional struggle against the state and the FFI, who are working to protect ecosystems around the world, for the rights to lands lost during the colonial era. Pictured: Protests in Belize
The Qekchi Mayan indigenous people say they were not consulted about William and Kate’s visit and held a community meeting this week, followed by a protest yesterday.
The police denied them a protest during a visit scheduled for tomorrow due to security concerns, so the villagers demonstrated yesterday with signs saying “Prince William is leaving our land” and “The colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince and FFI.”
The police denied them a protest during a scheduled visit tomorrow due to security concerns, so the villagers demonstrated yesterday with signs saying “Prince William is leaving our land” and “The colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince and FFI.”
Dionisio said that although their problem was with charity, they felt that William should take charge as its patron.
There was no comment from Kensington Palace, but aides confirmed that the visit had been canceled and the couple would take alternative action.
It is understood that the visit, including the helicopter landing, was organized by the local authorities. The FFI is said to have bought land on the disputed Boden Creek site last December to protect it, discouraging bidders who wanted to use it for agriculture.
Boden Creek’s “ecological integrity” is at risk, sources said, and FFI has secured the land for conservation, local communities and as a national treasure for Belize in general.
A spokesman said: “FFI will conserve and protect the exceptional wildlife of Boden Creek while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of the local people.
“Nature conservation must go hand in hand with the right of people to secure a livelihood and preserve their traditional and human rights.”
In a statement to the Mail, the Belize government said, “Indian Creek was one of several sites under consideration.
“Due to problems in the village, the Belizean government stepped up contingency planning and another site was chosen to showcase Mayan family entrepreneurship in the cocoa industry.”