British royal family to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee with world tour

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge among the royals travelling abroad to mark the record milestone

Prince William will soon be back travelling, after his trip to the UAE earlier in February. Photo: Karim Sahib

The British royal family has announced a tour of the globe to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee year.

Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will travel to the Caribbean, touring Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas from March 19 to 26.

Heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will visit Ireland from March 23 to 25.

Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, will travel to Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines from April 22 to 28.

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, will visit Papua New Guinea from April 11 to 13.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have already tweeted their excitement at the upcoming jubilee tour.

Officials at Kensington Palace, where the royal couple live, said it was their first joint tour since the start of the pandemic, and they have asked to meet as many local people as possible.

They will visit historic Mayan sites, celebrate the rich culture of the Garifuna community in Belize and explore the country's biodiversity.

In Jamaica, the duke and duchess will engage with the Jamaican Defence Force and celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and other ground-breaking Jamaican musicians, alongside potential stars of the future.

In the Bahamas, the Cambridges visit a number of islands and experience a world famous junkanoo parade.

A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: “Throughout their visit, the duke and duchess will take the opportunity to commemorate Her Majesty's platinum jubilee.

“Their programme will also touch on a number of themes that are close to Their Royal Highnesses' hearts and a key focus of their work with The Royal Foundation, including The Earthshot Prize, mental health and the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes.”

She added: “Their Royal Highnesses are very much looking forward to the visit, which will be their first joint official overseas tour since the onset of Covid-19 in 2020.”

The Cambridges are also keen to learn more about the impact of the pandemic on the Caribbean and how communities coped.

Jubilee tour continues long tradition

Jubilee tours abroad have long been carried out in celebration of the queen's milestone anniversaries.

The queen herself is currently convalescing with mild Covid symptoms after she became infected through contact with an unknowingly infectious Prince Charles.

During her recuperation, the monarch, 95, has cancelled several virtual engagements, to which she has become accustomed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even when in full health, and permissible or advisable depending on pandemic restrictions, the queen no longer carries out overseas engagements.

Her last trip abroad was to Malta in 2015. Since then, younger members of the clan have taken up the slack.

Just this week, the Duchess of Cambridge visited Denmark where she met with Princess Mary in Danish capital Copenhagen. Kate revealed on the tour she was thinking of having a fourth child.

The duchess's trip came hot on the heels of her husband Prince William's tour of the UAE, where he was shown around Expo 2020 Dubai by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Prince William also met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, at Abu Dhabi's Jubail Mangrove Park.

The queen reached her platinum jubilee on February 6, becoming the first British monarch in history to do so.

Overseas are not the only way it is being commemorated, however. National festivities will take place in the UK on a four-day bank holiday weekend in June.

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