The royal visit in February of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, cost Cayman $72,031.92, with the police shouldering the highest amount at $57,306.50.
The most expensive cost from the visit was the $37,933.85 incurred in overtime by the RCIPS.
These figures were based on details released to the Cayman Compass following open records requests to the Cabinet Office, the Governor’s Office and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.
The costs were significantly lower than the more than $300,000 spent for Prince Charles and Camilla’s 29‑hour visit to Cayman in March 2019, however, with that bill including $132,148.58 for police overtime.
Between spending by the Governor’s Office, Cabinet and the police, the 2019 visit cost the Cayman Islands government a total of $335,152.84. More than half of the expenditure, $192,680.48, was incurred by the RCIPS.
Hosting costs for Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Governor’s Office, in its summary of costs, stated that a total of $9,286.42 was spent on the visit, $8,779.76 of which was incurred at Government House, which included catering and the cost of holding the reception the night of the royal couple’s arrival on 20 Feb.
This was paid by the Cayman Islands government, while the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office paid $506.66 for the Governor’s Office team to cover the visit, which included accommodation and travel to Little Cayman.
Cayman’s Cabinet Office expenses totalled $5,439 with $2,207 listed as spent on professional services. There was no explanation as to what this entailed.
A total of $1,731 was spent on entertainment, $800 on consultancy fees and $701 on diplomatic services.
As for the police, the expenses incurred ranged from $9,619.05 in meals to $7,083.44 in rentals of vehicles and equipment to $2,100 for the parade.
The RCIPS also spent $570.16 on flights.
Whirlwind tour
The royal couple visited the Cayman Islands from Monday, 20 Feb. to Wednesday, 22 Feb. where they took part in separate events, including receptions and attending the Agriculture Show.
Prince Edward, youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and a longstanding patron of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, visited the organisation on Little Cayman in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his patronage, and launched CCMI’s Coral Fund to support construction of a new facility there.
Premier Wayne Panton hosted a lunch for Prince Edward on Little Cayman to discuss climate change and sustainability in the Cayman Islands.
The prince also spent time with the Cayman Islands Coast Guard, the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps and the Cayman Islands Regiment.
The countess attended events hosted by the 100 Women in Finance organisation, for which she is the global ambassador.
She also took part in a lively game of dodgeball with children at a YMCA camp held at the Field of Dreams.
During the visit, Prince Edward delivered a message to the Cayman Islands from his brother King Charles, who 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 in his message.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex also visited the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas following their brief tour of the Cayman Islands.
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Why can’t we get similar cost information on all these Govt delegations on their trips around the world?.. The police must look forward to these royal visits.
Seems like a lot of money