Wills and Kate fly in to save the Commonwealth
WILLIAM and Kate have been praised as “the perfect couple” to strengthen British bonds with 54 Commonwealth countries – despite an anticolonialism protest ahead of their crucial Caribbean tour.
Former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole declared: “I believe the Queen can give herself a hug at home, knowing the future will be in the safest hands well into this century.
“If you were to go to Central Casting in Hollywood, you would not be able to find anyone to better play the role of leaders in a modern monarchy. They are the perfect couple.”
His support for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge comes after the cancellation of their visit to a cacao farm in Belize today over a long-running land dispute between locals and the charity Flora And Fauna International, of whichwilliam is patron.
Villagers in the small community of Indian Creek also staged a protest over plans to land the royal couple’s helicopter in the middle of a football pitch, describing their visit as “colonialism” and a “slap in the face”.
But Mr Cole, who accompanied the Queen on her visit to Belize in 1985 – when she famously ate a roasted jungle rat and flew over the country’s cannabis plantations – dismissed the hitches as “a minor blip”.
On Tuesday William and Kate will fly to Jamaica where – poignantly – they will travel in the same open-top Land Rover from which the Queen and Prince Philip waved to thousands of cheering schoolchildren during a state visit almost 69 years ago. This time, however, the Duke and Duchess will be visiting amid growing uncertainty about the Royal Family’s role in the Caribbean and fears that Jamaica could follow Barbados, which removed the Queen as head of state four months ago.
The island’s daily newspaper The Gleaner is demanding a public referendum and Jamaican President Andrew Holness is reportedly in favour of his country’s “transition to a republic”.
Aides will be hoping William and Kate can reignite royal fervour before spending next Friday and Saturday in the Bahamas prior to their return to Britain next Sunday. A senior royal source last night confirmed today’s schedule has been rearranged, adding: “Due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location.”
Mr Cole said William and Kate “have become no strangers to walking a diplomatic tightrope when necessary”.
He added: “He was born for his role and has accepted it with aplomb. She has also taken to her role better than anyone had a right to expect.
“And they are both brilliantly equipped to bring the magic of majesty to the Commonwealth.
“They have the glamour; Kate is also very much a fashion leader, but they are also settled, have modest tastes, never seem to attract or encourage scandal, and have three beautiful children who are being brought up without being spoiled.”
‘They have the glamour’