The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a warm welcome as they touched down in the Bahamas for the final leg of their Caribbean tour.
Days after the country’s reparations committee voiced its concern about the royal visit, Prince William and Kate were greeted by Prime Minister Philip Davis.
The couple had freshened up their outfits on their flight from Jamaica, where the future king had used a speech to express his “profound sorrow” for the slave trade – but did not offer a full apology.
It remains to be seen whether William will address the Bahamas National Reparations Committee’s strongly worded statement issued a few days ago, which claimed the monarchy “looted and pillaged our land and our people for centuries, leaving us struggling with under development, left to pick up the pieces”.
William and Kate wave as they depart Jamaica…
…and walk the red carpet upon arrival in the Bahamas
Cambridges told Queen’s reign will likely never be matched
The Cambridges began their visit to the Bahamas by meeting Mr Davis, who told them the world will likely never again see a reign as long as the Queen’s 70 years.
He said: “Our best wishes are sent to the Queen, and congratulations on her Platinum Jubilee.”
“I do not think we will see the same again,” he added, to which William nodded.
William said he was “excited” to be in the Bahamas, with the PM telling him that his arrival was “long overdue”.
What’s on the couple’s itinerary?
Their first full day will see William and Kate take to the waters off the islands to join a regatta in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. They are expected to race against each other.
Also on Friday, the couple will visit pupils at the Sybil Strachan Primary School in Nassau and join an assembly.
They will then spend time with key workers and health care staff in the capital’s Garden of Remembrance to hear about their experiences of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the evening, they will attend a dinner hosted by Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith featuring community leaders and local heroes, and the duke will give a speech.
The couple were saluted on the tarmac at the airport
Back home, the Queen has been pictured smiling broadly as she viewed a display of hand-decorated teapots and antique enamelled trinket boxes that were brought to Windsor Castle.
The event was the the monarch’s first official face-to-face engagement with a number of people for more than seven weeks since her Platinum Jubilee reception at Sandringham House.
She contracted COVID in February, having already spent more than three months from October carrying out only light duties under doctors’ orders.