Last September, the Cayman Islands marked the formal proclamation of King Charles III after his ascension to the throne at St. James’s Palace in London. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on 8 Sept.
Saturday will mark his Coronation, as Charles will be crowned alongside Queen Consort Camilla at a ceremony in Westminster Abbey in London.
In a message sent with his brother, Prince Edward, who visited the islands in February, and delivered the letter to Premier Wayne Panton, the King lauded the connection between the UK and Cayman, and 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.
King Charles, in his message, 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.
Cayman welcomed the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, now King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, to the jurisdiction on 27 March 2019 – the final stop of an 11-day Caribbean tour.
2019 visit
The royal couple’s official two-day visit to the Cayman Islands included touring the Sister Islands.
In February 2019, Governor Martyn Roper announced the planned royal visit, 46 years after then-Prince Charles last travelled to Cayman in 1973.
The visit was part of a larger Caribbean trip that included stops to other Commonwealth jurisdictions and Cuba. The couple’s tour started officially on 18 March with a visit to St. Lucia to celebrate its 40th year of independence.
Immediately prior to coming to the Cayman Islands, the couple made history as the first royals to visit communist Cuba.
Minutes after touching down in Cayman, the royal couple took part in the official opening ceremony for the renovated Owen Roberts International Airport. Around 300 people came out to greet the royals and celebrate the redevelopment of the terminal.
The couple unveiled a plaque at the airport as part of the event.
Concluding the first day’s activities, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall met with Roper and Premier Alden McLaughlin at Government House following the unveiling ceremony at the airport.
The second day of the royal visit brought separate agendas for the prince and duchess. Prince Charles went to Cayman Brac to cut the ribbon on the new 25-metre swimming pool at the Brac sports complex.
This was his first time setting foot in Cayman Brac.
After cutting the ribbon, Charles walked around the new pool facility and took time to shake the hands of some Brac residents. The residents reported the prince to be an affable and charming person.
The prince then made a stop in Little Cayman where he visited the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, speaking with researchers and students about the importance of coral and reefs.
While the prince was touring the Sister Islands, the Duchess of Cornwall officially opened the new Jasmine Villa hospice and palliative care facility. She also visited George Town Primary School and Estella’s Place, which is part of the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles returned from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman on board the new Royal Cayman Islands Police Service H145 Airbus helicopter, landing at Clifton Hunter High School, to the delight of assembled students, parents and teachers.
The prince then visited the blue iguanas at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, which his mother opened during her 1994 tour of Grand Cayman. There, he petted the park’s 15-year-old blue iguana, ‘Peter’. He also took part in the official opening of the Children’s Garden at the park.
After that, it was on to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, to meet with emergency responders who had been deployed in 2017 to help in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes in the region.
Steve Fitzgerald, then executive officer of the RCIPS Air Operations Unit, said this was a proud moment for Cayman.
“It was really great that he took the time out to meet with the team,” Fitzgerald said at the time. “It’s good to show people the aircraft and the fact that the prince was one of the first people to ride in it is quite indescribable.”
The whirlwind royal visit ended with a reception at Pedro St. James Castle.
The prince, in his only public address, said he was “greatly touched” by the reception the couple had received as they traveled throughout the territory.
“We are deeply grateful to have been given such a special welcome on all three islands and to have met so many people from such a diverse range of backgrounds who now call these islands home,” he said.
He also delivered a call to action on the environment and encouraged the islands to value its natural resources and protect its waters and ecosystem.
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