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News

TRH arrive in the Caribbean and visit the island of Trinidad

4th March 2008

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall were welcomed to the Caribbean island of Trinidad today with carnival dancers on the first stop of their Caribbean tour.

Their Royal Highnesses are touring five islands in the region over 11 days and arrived in the capital Port of Spain on the yacht Leander which will cruise around the West Indies.

The Prince and The Duchess will travel to nearby Tobago and the countries of St Lucia, Jamaica and the UK Overseas Territory of Montserrat to promote the themes of sustainable development, environmental protection and youth opportunity.

Under clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine they left the yacht which was moored in a coastguard base just outside the capital.

Dozens of sailors from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Coastguard lined the dock as a guard of honour waiting to be inspected by The Prince, who walked towards them along a concrete jetty laid with red carpet.

The Prince was joined by Trinidad's Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Edmond Dillon as he walked along the rows of sailors, while The Duchess, who wore a short sleeved ivory dress, sheltered from the sun under a parasol.

Their Royal Highnesses were shown to seats under a marquee before they were treated to a cultural performance which started with popular calypso singer Denyse Plummer.

The performer stood a few metres from The Prince and The Duchess and told them: "Welcome to Trinidad, the land of steel band, calypso, carnival. A land where you find happy people of every creed and race."

Britain has had a long association with Trinidad, the island came under British rule at the end of the 18th Century.

Centuries later both Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962.

The calypso singer Denyse Plummer sang her popular hit and nation building song Nah Leavin, which lists the twin-island republic's best qualities.

Later a group of young carnival dancers dressed in flowing gold robes and matching head dresses performed for Their Royal Highnesses and Trinidad government ministers.

Their Royal Highnesses then visited the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards and his partner Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards, for a private meeting.

They went on to the Diplomatic Centre, and were received by The Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Patrick Manning and his wife Senator, the Honourable Hazel Manning.

Their Royal Highnesses then visited the Asa Wright Nature Centre in the north of Trinidad in the afternoon.

The nature centre is a not-for-profit trust established in 1967 by a group of naturalists and bird-watchers to “protect part of the Arima Valley in a natural state and to create a conservation and study area for the protection of wildlife and for the enjoyment of all.

It was one of the first nature centres to be established in the Caribbean and is now widely recognised as one of the most successful ecotourism centres in the world.

Holding binoculars up to their eyes, The Prince and The Duchess stared down into a rainforest valley owned by the centre and teeming with exotic wildlife.

Their Royal Highnesses were hoping to catch a glimpse of the amazing birds that attract birdwatchers from around the world, including channel-billed toucans, ornate hawk-eagles and chestnut woodpeckers.

The Prince and The Duchess arrived at the organisation's hilltop base along a winding valley road with sheer drops.

The Prince helped to launch a documentary on climate change in the region funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and made by marine biologist Dr Owen Day, a director of the Buccoo Reef Trust, an organisation working to conserve the marine life in the waters around Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr Day told the invited audience that the film would be screened on television stations across the West Indies. He told The Prince: "You are such an active and outspoken champion of conservation and the fight against climate change - we need more leaders like you."

The documentary highlights the worst effects climate change has caused to the Caribbean, from killing off parts of the coral reef to being partly blamed for an increase in hurricanes in the region.

The Prince has repeatedly spoken about the need for society to change to combat the threat of global warming and recently gave a speech to members of the European Parliament about the need for non-governmental organisations and the private and public sector to work together to tackle the issues.

At a reception Their Royal Highnesses met people involved in environmental protection and conservation including scientists, researchers, local farmers and students.

The Prince later saw a project demonstrating how Britain has been working with the government of Trinidad and Tobago to help it tackle a growing crime problem.

In October 2005 more than 10,000 people took part in a protest – named the Death March - against the soaring rate of violent crime, much of it gang-related and fuelled by drugs.

The twin island republic has a population of around 1.2 million but already this year there have been 72 killings - an increase of 30 compared with the same period in 2007.

Last year was a record year for murders, with 388 people killed.

The Prince visited a training academy run by the Special Anti-Crime Unit and saw forensic officers working in mock murder and kidnapping scenes to test their skills collecting blood samples and fibre testing.

A number of retired British officers have been working in the anti-crime unit to pass on their skills.

In the evening The Prince hosted a reception on board the Leander for business leaders and environmentalists.