Kate's Belize Trip: Why It Was Cancelled

Kate Middleton and Prince William cancelled their trip to a Belize village at the start of their eight-day Caribbean tour due to protests by local residents. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were scheduled to visit the Akte'il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek, but their plans were met with opposition from residents, who were involved in a dispute with Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation charity of which Prince William is a patron. The residents claimed they had not been consulted about the royal visit and staged a protest against colonialism and the use of a football field for the royals' helicopter landing. As a result, the couple cancelled the engagement and visited an alternative venue to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry.

Protests against colonialism and use of a football field for landing

Protests against colonialism and the use of a football field for landing caused the cancellation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's trip to Indian Creek Village in Belize. The residents of the village staged a protest against the royal excursion due to a dispute with Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation charity of which Prince William is a patron. The issue was centred around the use of a local football pitch as a landing site for the royal helicopter. The residents claimed they had not been consulted about the use of their field and objected to the royal helicopter landing there.

The chairman of Indian Creek Village, Sebastian Shol, stated that the residents did not want the Duke and Duchess to land on their land: "We don't want them to land on our land, that's the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere, but not on our land." The protests also highlighted the ongoing tensions between citizens and the state regarding communal land rights and rights to lands that were expunged during the colonial period by the British.

The issue of colonialism was also a significant factor in the protests. Local media reported that residents from the indigenous Mayan village held up signs reading "Colonial Legacy of Theft Continues with Prince" and "Not your land, not your decision". Another sign read, "Prince William, leave our land". These protests reflected the ongoing debate about the legacy of colonialism in the Caribbean and the role of the British monarchy in the region.

The Kensington Palace spokesperson released a statement regarding the cancellation, attributing it to "sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek". The Belize government also provided a statement, noting that Indian Creek was one of several potential landing sites and that a different venue had been selected due to issues in the village.

Dispute between residents of Toledo district and Flora and Fauna International (FFI)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, were forced to cancel a trip to the Akte'il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek, Belize, due to protests by local residents. The trip was scheduled to kick off their Caribbean tour, which included visits to Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. The protests arose from a dispute between residents of the Toledo district and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation charity of which Prince William is a patron.

The Maya Indigenous community of Indian Creek is in a land dispute with FFI, claiming that the organisation took part of their lands in the name of conservation. FFI stated that it purchased the land from private owners in December 2021 and pledged to support the livelihoods, educational opportunities, and customary rights of local people. However, the villagers of Indian Creek were not consulted about the royal visit, and they protested against the use of their football pitch as the landing site for the royal helicopter.

The chairman of Indian Creek village, Sebastian Shol, stated that they did not want the Duke and Duchess to land on their land. Another youth leader, Dionisio Shol, highlighted the colonial legacy of the dispute, with FFI being seen as a continuation of colonial-era land grabs. The dispute also brought attention to the broader issue of land rights and the historical violation of human rights by the State of Belize, which had allowed logging and oil development on Mayan traditional lands.

The cancellation of the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge highlighted the ongoing tensions and disputes between the residents of Toledo and FFI. It also raised questions about the role of the British monarchy and its legacy in former colonies, with some critics suggesting that the UK should be helping nations to cut ties with the monarchy rather than convincing them to stay.

Prince William's patronage of FFI

In October 2020, Prince William was appointed patron of FFI, inheriting the title from his grandmother. The charity's CEO, Mark Rose, expressed his gratitude for the Queen's support and looked forward to building on her legacy with Prince William. FFI's work aligns with Prince William's commitment to addressing the global environmental crisis, as demonstrated by his involvement with the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and United for Wildlife, an alliance that includes FFI as a partner.

The Duke of Cambridge's patronage of FFI is significant as it comes at a critical time for the planet, facing interconnected threats such as climate collapse and biodiversity loss. FFI's position as a Global Alliance Partner of The Earthshot Prize, an environmental initiative launched by Prince William, further highlights the synergy between their goals for the planet's future.

However, Prince William's association with FFI during his and Kate Middleton's Belize trip in March 2022 caused controversy. The royal couple was forced to cancel a visit to Indian Creek village due to protests by local residents, who opposed the charity's involvement in a land dispute. FFI owns contested property in the village and is in legal action against locals over communal land rights. The protests highlighted the complex dynamics of the royal family's ties to colonial history and ongoing land rights issues in former colonies.

Local Belizian authorities advised against the trip

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were forced to cancel their trip to a Belize village after protests by local residents. The royal couple had planned to visit the Akte'il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek, but their office cancelled the engagement due to protests by residents. Local Belizian authorities advised against the trip, despite the couple's willingness to speak with the indigenous people at the heart of the dispute.

The protests arose from a dispute between residents of the Toledo district and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation charity that counts Prince William as a patron. FFI has purchased land near the village's communal land, causing tensions over ownership rights. The residents of Indian Creek did not want the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to land their helicopter on their local football pitch, claiming they had not been consulted about it.

The chair of Indian Creek village, Sebastian Shol, told the media: "We don't want them to land on our land, that's the message that we want to send... They could land anywhere, but not on our land."

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: "We can confirm that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location. Further details will be provided in due course."

The Belize government also issued a statement, saying: "Indian Creek was one of several sites being considered. Due to issues in the village, the government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry."

Anti-colonial protests and an ongoing land-rights dispute between the Maya people and FFI

The first day of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's week-long tour of Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas was disrupted by anti-colonial protests and an ongoing land-rights dispute between the Maya people and FFI (Flora and Fauna International). The Indian Creek village in Belize, home to about 1000 people, has been at the centre of this dispute. The Maya community claims that FFI, a conservation charity with Prince William as its patron, acquired part of their lands in the name of conservation.

The issue came to a head when Prince William and Kate Middleton planned to visit Akte'il Ha, a family-run sustainable cacao farm in Indian Creek, with their helicopter scheduled to land on the village football pitch without prior consultation with the locals. This prompted protests from the Maya villagers, who have been fighting against colonial-era territorial settlements still contested by indigenous groups. The Indian Creek community made it clear that they did not want the royals there, displaying signs with messages such as "Colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince" and "Not Your Land, Not Your Decision".

The dispute between the Maya people and FFI involves just under 5000 hectares of land that FFI agents have designated as private property, restricting communal use by the villagers. This land has traditionally been used by the Maya villagers for farming, hunting, and gathering materials for building their homes. The Maya have a communal and complex land tenure system, with alcaldes, or critical elements of customary Maya governance, managing land use and boundary harmonization processes.

In response to the protests, the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was moved to a different location. A spokeswoman for Kensington Palace confirmed the change due to "sensitive issues" involving the Indian Creek community. The Belize government also issued a statement, emphasising that Indian Creek was one of several sites under consideration and that a contingency plan had been activated due to issues in the village.

The ongoing land-rights dispute between the Maya people and FFI highlights the complex dynamics between conservation efforts and the rights and autonomy of indigenous communities. The Maya people have been engaged in a prolonged fight to defend their territories and self-determined futures, navigating the ongoing aftermath of colonialism and state-sponsored development projects.

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