Prince Harry, a.k.a. “Captain Wales”—grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, the younger son of The Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and the third in line to the British Throne—is due to arrive in Belize at 4:25 p.m. today, Friday, March 2, 2012, via a private flight, for an official visit to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen’s reign – 60 years since she ascended to the throne in February 1952.
Prince Henry Charles Albert David (popularly known as Prince Harry), described as an avid sportsman, was born on 15th September 1984. Harry, one of the Queen’s 8 grandchildren, has been pursuing a military career and he is training to become a pilot with the Army Air Corps.
Miguel Head, press secretary to the prince, told the media on Tuesday that Harry wears multiple hats – he is a soldier, a prince, and a normal 27-year-old.
He is very excited about going to Ladyville, at the Price Barracks headquarters of the Belize Defence Force, on Saturday afternoon, where he will honor those British soldiers who died in Belize during service and lay a wreath in their honor, Head conveyed.
Prince Harry’s visit to Belize comes at a time when the British has downsized its military operations here, with the trimming of the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB).
The Prince will head off to the Commonwealth nations of The Bahamas and Jamaica after his visit to Belize, scheduled to end at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
Belize is included on the royal family itinerary to celebrate the Jubilee because, although it is politically independent, it remains a member of the Commonwealth, headed by the Queen as monarch and sovereign of the nation state.
Belize is one of 15 nations in the Commonwealth Realm, under the headship of the Queen, in addition to the UK. The others are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Barbados, Grenada, Solomon Islands, St Lucia and The Bahamas.
“As a constitutional monarch, The Queen, by convention, is not involved in the day-to-day business of the Government of Belize, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles,” the monarchy says.
Governor General Sir Colville Young, GCMG MBE, is the queen’s appointee and representative in Belize, and no new legislation—such as the 8th Amendment to the Belize Constitution—comes into force in Belize without him signing it.
The Queen, 85, visited Belize with Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, in October 1985, four years after Belize celebrated Independence. She visited Belize again with her husband in 1994.
It is reported that the first royal visit was made in 1958 by Elizabeth’s younger sister, Margaret, now deceased, after whom Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City is named.
Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William, has visited Belize with BATSUB.
On the occasion of the Queen’s first visit, she was welcomed by the Mayor of Belize City and given the key to the City. Her grandson does not have Belize City among his list of stops.
Instead, after his arrival at the Philip Goldson International Airport on Friday evening, he makes a formal courtesy call on Prime Minister Dean Barrow, at the VIP Lounge, and will then be escorted, via the Burrell Boom Road, to Belmopan, where he will visit Sir Young, and view commemorative stamps published in honor of the Queen.
When the Queen visited in 1985, she also spent time in Dangriga, where she was entertained with Jancunu dances, performed by the Garinagu.
Prince Harry will instead go West, where he will deliver a message from the Queen at a festival on Cohune Walk on Friday night, when the boulevard will be renamed for the Queen.
On Saturday, he is set to visit the office of the Organization of American States near the Belize-Guatemala border, where he will meet Belizean and Guatemalan children involved in an art class.
Later that day, he travels to Xunantunich, where he is expected to climb the main temple and witness the Mayan Deer Dance.
The 2012 Diamond Jubilee includes tours by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh across the UK, as well as Royal Family visits in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Commonwealth Realm, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.
The Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and Channel Islands: Baliwick of Jersey, Baliwick of Guernsey (including Guernsey and its dependencies) will be visited by Charles, the Prince of Wales and Heir to the Throne, along with the Duchess of Cornwall; whereas Overseas Territories such as The Falkland Islands will be visited by The Duke of Kent, and Gibraltar by The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Apart from the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat, Trinidad and Tobago, a former British territory, is also on the tour list of The Earl and Countess of Wessex, although Trinidad has been a republic since 1976, vesting full powers of governance in the people and elected officials of that country, which is headed by an elected president as chief of state and the prime minister as head of government, thereby abolishing the headship of the Queen.
Jamaica, another country on Prince Harry’s tour, has also been discussing whether that country should remain under the monarchical system. JM Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller was quoted in January as saying that it is time to drop The Queen as their Head of State, as she proposes to transform the country into a republic.
Belizean officials have not expressed any intent to break monarchical ties to the Queen.
Prince Harry’s visit will reportedly be covered by over 100 media personnel, according to Government of Belize sources, including ABC, CNN, NBC, the Daily Telegraph and other UK and overseas press, as well as Belizean media.
Historical Notes-:
1862: British Honduras was recognized as colony of Britain.
1964: British Honduras attained self-government.
1973: British Honduras became Belize.
1981: Belize attained political Independence.
2012: Belize remains a Commonwealth nation under the sovereignty of the Queen.
The Monarchy explains that, “The Queen is the Head of State of Belize whilst the country elects its own Prime Minister, who runs the Government.” She has delegated her executive powers to the Governor General.