NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, arrived in The Bahamas on a Royal Airforce plane yesterday afternoon, marking the first day in the nation as part of their Caribbean tour to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
But not before eight-year-old flower girl Aniah Moss, a Xaviers Lower Schol student, greeted the royal couple and had a brief exchange with Kate.
Aniah later told Eyewitness News that Kate complimented her on her pink dress and she in kind told said Duchess that her turquoise dress was beautiful.
“I was really excited,” she beamed, recounting the exchange as her proud mother, Kendenique Campbell-Moss, stood beside her.
A joint Royal Bahamas Police Force and Defence Force band played the national anthem for the royals, before Prince William, accompanied by Governor General CA Smith, Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle, and RBDF Commodore Dr Raymond King, inspected The Bahamas royal guard.
After the ceremonial greeting, the royal couple was transported to the Office of the Prime Minister to pay a call to Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis.
As the prime minister welcomed the couple to The Bahamas, he said: “I wish that you extend my condolences to the Queen; having attained this milestone, I don’t think we will see it again, not anytime soon.”
The Queen took the throne in 1952, 70 years ago.
Davis and his wife, Anne Marie-Davis, shared a conversation with the Duke and Duchess at the OPM.
Of their visit, Marie-Davis said the couple was excited about the upcoming celebrations and were looking forward to “swimming and diving”.
In an interview following the visit, the prime minister said he and Prince William spoke about several matters of mutual interest, including climate change and carbon credits.
According to Davis, Prince William commended The Bahamas for leading the voice on climate change and punching above its weight.
The prime minister also said the Duke’s visit to The Bahamas was timely to in part “carry back the message that I gave him in respect to our challenges in accessing climate funding”.
Further, Davis noted that Prince William was impressed with Coral Vita on Grand Bahama, which won his inaugural Earthshot Prize, a prize awarded by the Royal Foundation to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism.
“I think it is really timely that he is here to be able to carry the message back that I gave him in respect to our challenges in accessing climate funding for our adaptation and mitigation against the rise in sea levels and the devastating hurricanes that we are bound to continue to have,” Davis said.
“What is interesting about that as well in discussing that aspect of this space, I did point out to him that most of our debt and we are heavily indebted — I daresay that at least 50 percent of our debt is directly related to the consequences of climate change with hurricanes and the disruption in our economy when we do have hurricanes and when we have property damage over the last five or six years in the billions, $4-$5 billion.
“And we can see the challenges that we have and I think he took that on and was very interested in how, whatever influence he could have to bring to bear on the world, particularly the countries that are the culprits in emissions, to come to the table.”
In contrast to the celebratory photos and events, the tour has also inflamed anti-colonial sentiment in the region with calls for reparations and for former colonies to sever ties with the Commonwealth by seeking to become a republic.
Several local groups have announced plans to protest or demonstrate the royal visit, though there were no demonstrations as the couple arrived in The Bahamas.
Today, the Duke and Duchess will attend an assembly at Sybil Strachan Primary School, which will be virtually connected to all schools, before visiting the Garden of Remembrance to recognize healthcare frontline workers.
Following, the royals will attend the ‘Taste of The Bahamas’ cultural event at Parliament Square at 11.30am.
The royals will also attend Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Regatta at Montague, where five boats will race with the Duke and Duchess competing.
The governor general’s reception will cap the evening at Baha Mar’s Convention Center.
