Kate Middleton and Prince William Have 'Cool Runnings' Moment in Jamaican Bobsled, Go Scuba Diving
The royal couple visited Jamaica as a part of their tour of the Caribbean in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.
AbJimroe
The royals are ready to race! Prince William and Kate Middleton had an active first day in Jamaica on the second leg of their royal tour of the Caribbean in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee year.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Kingston, Jamaica, where William played a game of soccer at a neighborhood pitch. The couple also met the Jamaican bobsled team, who participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics and immediately got compared to the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, which about a Jamaican bobsled team going for the gold.
The parents of three sat in the bright yellow bobsled and smiled for a selfie with the team -- a rare act for the royals.
Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the Jamaican bobsled team. pic.twitter.com/FOTAiNZsQV
— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) March 23, 2022They later visited the Trench Town Culture Yard and Museum, the former home of the late Jamaican musician, Bob Marley. The couple were showed around and even tried their hand at playing drums with some reggae musicians in the same courtyard where Marley learned to play.
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
For the couple's arrival in Kingston, Kate wowed in a bright yellow Roksanda dress with a cream-colored clutch purse, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She later changed into a colorful, printed dress for another day of royal engagements.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
The royals also released footage of William and Kate scuba diving in Belize over the weekend at the second largest barrier reef in the world.
The video shows Kate and William getting up close and personal with sharks and fish as they explored the underwater habitat.
Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world 🐠🐟🦈. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/KDRbhM1tz5
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2022On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef. It was a privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being done here. pic.twitter.com/BdKzU3TOsi
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2022Despite the couple's busy schedule, they've also faced criticism of their tour. They were forced to cancel an appearance in Belize after locals protested the visit.
Reuters reported that Kensington Palace confirmed it made a schedule change due to "sensitive issues" involving the Indian Creek community.
According to the international news agency, local villagers grew furious after claiming they were not consulted about the royals visit to a farm in the Maya village. The local villagers were also upset that the royal couple was scheduled to land their helicopter on land that's at the center of an ownership rights dispute.
And just ahead of William and Kate's arrival in Jamaica, news broke via The Independent that "a coalition of Jamaican politicians, business leaders, doctors and musicians" were pressing the country to sever ties with the British monarchy and to change the country's status to a republic. The coalition reportedly sent an open letter to William and Kate about their intention to remove Queen Elizabeth as the head of state.
The royal family has not publicly commented on this amid the couple's trip.
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