Visit to the Cayman Islands
In March 2019, King Charles III, then known as The Prince of Wales, visited the Cayman Islands along with his wife, The Queen Consort, then known as the Duchess of Cornwall. The two-day trip saw His Majesty visit all three islands and interact with many residents.
Shortly after arriving in Grand Cayman, The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were welcomed by large crowds as they officially opened the newly renovated Owen Roberts International Airport.
The first day’s events concluded with a reception at Government House where The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met His Excellency The Governor Mr Martyn Roper and the Hon. Premier Alden McLaughlin.
The Prince of Wales started the second day of the trip in Cayman Brac where he officially opened a new 24-metre public swimming pool. The Prince took time to walk around the facility and interact with residents.
Little Cayman was next on the royal schedule, where The Prince visited the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and spoke with researchers and students about the importance of coral and reefs.
Meanwhile in Grand Cayman, the Duchess of Cornwall officially opened the new Jasmine Villa hospice and palliative care facility with The Governor’s wife, Lissie Roper. She also took time to visit George Town Primary School to watch a choir performance and meet with staff. The Duchess of Cornwall then visited Estella’s Place, a walk-in centre operated by the Crisis Centre, to hear from young people who have benefited from help offered at the facility.
The Prince of Wales later returned to Grand Cayman on board the newly acquired Royal Cayman Islands Police Service helicopter, landing at Clifton Hunter High School, where he met the school’s Head Boy, Head Girl and Principal. From there, The Prince visited the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, which was opened by his mother in 1994. At the park, His Majesty attended a roundtable discussion on sustainability and witnessed conservation efforts to protect Cayman’s renowned blue iguanas before officially opening the park’s Children’s Garden.
Next, back in George Town, The Prince of Wales met with emergency responders who were deployed to Turks and Caicos in 2017 to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Maria.
The final engagement of the trip was a reception at Pedro St James Castle. Here, The Prince of Wales presented Deputy Governor Franz Manderson with the medal recognizing him as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). Felicia McLean and Andrew Smiley also received the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honour.
In an address to the gathered crowds, The Prince of Wales said he was “greatly touched” by the reception the couple had received.
“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.
His Majesty also stated his support for the number of sustainability and environmental initiatives he had witnessed during his visit and called on everyone to value and protect Cayman’s ecosystem and natural resources.
The trip was The Prince of Wales’ most recent visit to the Cayman Islands. He first visited Cayman in July 1973.