Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Tour: Kate Middleton & Prince William head to Jamaica for monarch’s 70 years on the throne
KATE Middleton and Prince William will head to Jamaica as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to travel to Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas on March 19 for an eight-day tour.
Their trip is part of a series of events to celebrate the 95-year-old Monarch's 70th year on the throne.
Brits will enjoy a four-day Bank Holiday weekend from June 2 to June 5 to ring in the milestone - with plenty of treats in store to mark the occasion.
Kate and William's overseas trip overlaps a visit to Ireland for Charles and Camilla.
The future King and Queen Consort are set to make a three-day visit on March 23.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines from 22 to April 28 2022.
And Princess Anne will visit Papua New Guinea from April 11 to 13.
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In a personal message on their Twitter account, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said: "We are so excited to visit Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas next month as we mark The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
"We can't wait to meet people in all three countries, celebrate local cultures and understand more about innovative work being done across communities."
The message was signed off with "W & C".
Kensington Palace said William and Kate will visit historic Mayan sites and celebrate the rich culture of the Garifuna community in Belize, as well as exploring the country's biodiversity.
In Jamaica, they will engage with the Jamaican Defence Force and celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and other ground-breaking Jamaican musicians alongside potential stars of the future.
In the Bahamas, the Cambridges will visit a number of islands and experience a world-famous junkanoo parade.
The pair has asked to meet as many local people as possible, the palace said.
They will also address the regions' responses to Covid-19 and the impact of the pandemic on the areas.
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Kate and William will also touch on themes "close to their hearts" - including their work with The Earthshot Prize, mental health and the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes, a statement added.
A Kensington Palace spokeswoman added: "Their Royal Highnesses are very much looking forward to the visit, which will be their first joint official overseas tour since the onset of Covid-19 in 2020."
The Queen, who currently has Covid, reached her Platinum Jubilee on February 6, becoming the first British monarch in history to do so.
She called time on her overseas travel a number of years ago, leaving the duties to other family members.
Jubilee tours abroad have long been carried out in celebration of the Queen's milestone anniversaries.
ROYAL TOUR
The Queen and Prince Philip visited Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in 1994 as part of a tour of the Caribbean.
Brits are braced for a huge four-day Bank Holiday weekend this summer as part of the jubilee celebrations.
A huge national pudding competition will make up some of the celebrations, while thousands of jubilee lunches will be held to honour Britain's longest ever reigning monarch.
The May Bank Holiday Weekend - which usually falls at the end of the month - will be moved to Thursday June 2 to fit in festivities.
And the weekend will be extended with an extra day off on Friday, June 3.
Buckingham Palace said the extra long weekend will provide "an opportunity for communities throughout the United Kingdom to come together and celebrate the historic milestone".
The Platinum Pudding Competition will see Brits battle it out to create a pudding fit for a queen, with everyone aged eight and over allowed to apply.
Five finalists will then prepare their pudding for an expert judging panel including Dame Mary Berry, Monica Galetti and Buckingham Palace Head Chef Mark Flanagan.
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The winning recipe will be made available to the public - and the pudding will be enjoyed at Big Jubilee Lunches and "by generations to come".
Her Majesty's Green Canopy, meanwhile, will see thousands of trees planted in the Queen's honour, including "celebration trees", "new majestic avenues of trees", "urban planting", and "expansive new forests that will benefit future generations".
