As the visit of Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex wrapped up earlier this week after a clutch of official engagements, the tour also brought a renewed message of solidarity sent from another member of the royal family.
Lauding the connection between the UK and the Cayman Islands, King Charles stated that he looked forward “to strengthening yet further our relationship in the years ahead”.
“The Cayman Islands, like all of our Overseas Territories, are much-loved and integral members of the British Family,” the King said through the message, entrusted to his brother for delivery to Cayman.
‘Caymanians are rightly proud of their culture and heritage’
The message, according to a statement from the Premier’s Office Friday, was presented to Premier Wayne Panton during a lunch Panton hosted on Little Cayman that focused on sustainability and climate resilience.
King Charles, in his message to the islands, said he and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, “recall with great fondness” the warmth of their welcome to the Cayman Islands in 2019 and how “inspiring it was to see at first-hand the remarkable development of the Territory over the past few decades”.
“Caymanians are rightly proud of their culture and heritage, their modem and dynamic community, together with their determination to protect their environment and grow their economy sustainably,” he said.
Panton, in the Friday statement, expressed his gratitude for the King’s message.
“On behalf of the Cayman Islands Government, it was a delight to receive the message from His Majesty King Charles III following the recent visit of Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex,” he said.
He thanked the King for acknowledging Cayman’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable economic growth.
“The UK and the Cayman Islands face many challenges together in our position as a British Overseas Territory; and these visits further reinforce the agreement between us to work together and maintain this relationship based on mutual respect and partnership,” the premier added.
Governor Martyn Roper told the Cayman Compass Thursday that he was “particularly delighted that His Royal Highness was able to deliver to the Premier a statement from His Majesty The King”.
“His Majesty too recalled with great fondness the warmth of their welcome and underlined that Cayman was a much valued member of the British Family,” Roper said.
The Cayman Islands, like the UK, has declared 8 May a public holiday to mark the coronation of King Charles III on 6 May.
The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey and the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Roper: A great opportunity for Cayman
Prince Edward, youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been a longstanding patron of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, and during this latest visit, he went to Little Cayman where he launched CCMI’s Coral Fund, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his patronage.
A small part of the Bloody Bay Wall was also dedicated in his honour.
Roper said the Earl and Countess of Wessex much enjoyed their time in the Cayman Islands.
“The Reception at Government House enabled Their Royal Highnesses to meet hundreds of people from across our community and Islands. The visit was a great opportunity for Cayman to solidify its strong, long-standing relationship with the UK and the Royal Family and I know that both The Earl and The Countess were impressed by the welcome they received,” Roper said.
Sophie, during her engagements here, participated in 100 Women in Finance events, visited the YMCA camp at Field of Dreams and the annual Agriculture show.
Roper said the visit enabled Cayman to showcase to the royal couple “just how much our Islands have to offer from our highly talented and diverse community, including our youth, the extraordinary biodiversity and beauty of our Islands, our agriculture and farming, our world-beating tourism product, our enhanced disaster response resilience and law enforcement capability”.
The couple’s final engagement was a special reception where they presented Duke of Edinburgh awards to young people at Government House before leaving for the Turks and Caicos Islands to continue their Caribbean tour.
Editor’s note: The King’s message was presented to Premier Wayne Panton during a lunch on Little Cayman and not at the welcome reception held at Government House as was previously indicated.
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