Royal Visit to the Caribbean: Barbados

Day 8:

On Their Royal Highnesses’ final day in Barbados, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a church service at St. Michael’s Cathedral, conducted by the Fourteenth Bishop of the Diocese, Michael Bruce St. John Maxwell.

Following this, Their Royal Highnesses departed Barbados for Cuba.

Day 3:

Today, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall carried out engagements in Barbados. To begin the day, Their Royal Highnesses attended a meeting with The Governor-General of Barbados, Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason. 

Following this, Their Royal Highnesses attended an official arrival ceremony at Heroes Square. After a twenty-one gun salute, His Royal Highness laid a wreath against the Cenotaph and presented the Coast Guard Colour.

Their Royal Highnesses then attended a meeting with The Prime Minister of Barbados, Ms. Mia Mottley at Parliament.

Later in the day, The Prince of Wales visited the Nidhe Israel synagogue, which is one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1654, and represents a significant heritage tourism attraction for Barbados as it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Following a tour of the synagogue, The Prince unveiled a plaque and had a brief tour of the Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath.

Meanwhile, The Duchess of Cornwall attended a Big Lunch event at the Derrick Smith School and Vocational Centre, a purpose-built educational facility designed to support the social, emotional, academic and physical development of adolescents and adults with developmental delays. Her Royal Highness was escorted on a tour of the school by Principle, Dr. Cheryl Rock, and saw the Lifestyle Centre, the Woodwork Workshop and a display of crafts for sale. The Duchess then joined guests outside for a Commonwealth Big Lunch, where her Royal Highness cut a celebratory cake baked by the students of the culinary workshop. The Duchess of Cornwall has been Patron of The Big Lunch since 2013.

The Prince of Wales next attended a Field Hospital and Hurricane Response Demonstration at Garrison Savannah. His Royal Highness was given a brief explanation of Barbados’ Disaster Response System, before receiving a tour of the Facility, meeting members of the Barbados Defence Force, the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Red Cross, who were displaying their equipment and providing a showcase of the disaster response system.

The Duchess of Cornwall travelled to the Prime Minister’s Residence, Ilaro Court, for a Women of the World (WOW) reception, where Her Royal Highness was received by Former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados Dame Billie Miller, who was also Barbados’ first female cabinet member, and Founder of the Women of the World Foundation, Jude Kelly, CBE. The WOW Festivals began in the UK in 2010 to celebrate women and girls, taking a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential, raising awareness globally of the issues they face, and discussing solutions together. Her Royal Highness has been President of WOW since 2015, having been involved with the organisation since 2010. To date, WOW has reached over 2 million people in 17 countries with more than 60 festivals around the world including Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Finland, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somaliland, the UK and the USA.  

The Prince of Wales later visited the Soroptimist Village and Hildegaaarde Weekes Activity Centre. Founded in 1921, Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement with a network of over 75,000 club members in 122 countries. Soroptimist members work on grassroots projects that help women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in communities worldwide. During the visit, His Royal Highness undertook a tour of the Village and met Soroptimist Village residents. The Prince visited the Resident’s laundry facility and then returned to the Activity Centre, where handicrafts made by local primary school children were on display. Before departure, His Royal Highness watched a performance involving residents and students of Eden Lodge Primary School.

Meanwhile, The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre for the Caribbean. The Barbados Diabetes Foundation was formed in 2001 as a mechanism for providing a holistic approach to the management of diabetes in Barbados, which has the highest diabetes incidence in the Caribbean. The Centre’s mission is to enhance diabetes education and promote self-management skills, while assisting in the search for cures.  It provides a holistic approach through its services which include investigation, treatment, and management. Accompanied by CEO of the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre, Mr. Calvert Boyea, The Duchess proceeded on a tour of the centre and met a group of patients who have been helped by the centre. Before departure, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit. 

To complete the afternoon, The Prince of Wales attended a Prince’s Trust International Reception at the Coral Reef Club Hotel, which was attended by Ministers and Trust supporters. Prince's Trust International was founded by The Prince of Wales in 2015 to share the successful programmes of youth charity, The Prince's Trust, which over 43 years has helped more than 920,000 disadvantaged young people across the United Kingdom to turn their lives around and supports over 100 more each day. At the reception, the Chairman of Prince’s Trust International, Sir Lloyd Dorfman, and Dame Martina Milburn presented Lionel Richie as the new Global Ambassador of The Prince’s Trust. Speaking at the reception, Ritchie said "I've been involved with the Prince's Trust for a number of years and, of course, I understand exactly what they do - giving opportunity to kids who would never ever have a shot at anywhere close to their dreams."

In the evening, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a reception at the Prime Minister’s Residence. Their Royal Highnesses met guests including cricketing stars, The Barbados Turf Club associates, Barbados Rum Affiliates, Royal Commonwealth Society Members and recipients of The Queen’s Awards. The Royal Barbados Police Force Band performed during the reception. Addressing the guests, His Royal Highness said:

For our part, being back in Barbados we have been reminded of just how beautiful your Island is, and even more strikingly, of the strength and vibrancy of your society. We have heard such marvellous accounts of the tremendous difference that is being made here by volunteers in their communities… Within the region, and globally, Barbados is offering vital leadership on some of the most pressing issues of our time, particularly on climate change and other challenges facing Small Island States such as the vital importance of protecting our oceans.