NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The start of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal tour in the Caribbean was marred by controversy after protests about colonialism forced the couple to cancel their first stop in Belize.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will no longer visit a cacao farm in Belize as planned, the country’s government said in a statement Friday. The stop was scrapped because of local opposition.
According to local reports, a protest was staged on Friday opposing the royal visit to Akte ’il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek village in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Belize news outlet Channel 7 reported that there is a dispute between village residents and Flora and Fauna International, a conservation charity William supports as patron.
The royal couple’s Kensington Palace office said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location.”
PRINCE WILLIAM’S COMMENT ABOUT ‘ALIEN’ UKRAINE CONFLICT SPARKED BACKLASH FOR THIS REASON
Artist Alex Sanker, 51, paints a picture of Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, in a street of Belize City, on March 18, 2022, the day ahead of their visit.
(JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP)
The government of Belize said “another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
There were also concerns over the plan to land the couple’s helicopter on a local football field, according to reports.
The couple, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also are due to visit Jamaica, where they are due to celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and island’s rich musical and sporting heritage. They will end the trip in the Bahamas, where they’ll compete in a sailing regatta in honor of the queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The trip, taken at the behest of William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, is…
Source : foxnews
