The Surprising Place You'll See Kate Middleton And Prince William For The Queen's Jubilee
This year marks Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, which celebrates 70 years on the throne, per The Royal Family. Events to commemorate the historic occasion will take place throughout the entire year. Although the official date of her succession to the throne was February 6, the queen chose to postpone any celebrations to a later date, preferring to honor the death of her father, the late King George, according to Country Living. Instead, the U.K. will celebrate a four-day holiday from June 2 to June 5 to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Over the course of this extended weekend, a number of traditional events will take place. Among them is the queen's birthday parade, the lighting of Platinum Jubilee beacons, the Derby at Epsom Downs, a party at Buckingham Palace, and a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral.
The queen won't be the only one celebrating this special year. Other members of the royal family will also participate in various events, including tours to countries around the world. On February 24, The Royal Family released a list of tours that are scheduled to take place this coming spring. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles will visit Ireland at the end of March, while Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will head to Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the end of April. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — Prince William and Kate Middleton — also have a tour scheduled for mid-March.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have a long list of events waiting for them
Kate Middleton and Prince William will head to the Caribbean in March for an official tour to honor Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, according to People. They will visit the countries of Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, where the queen still carries the title of head of state. Kate and William have many exciting events lined up, including touring historic Mayan sites in Belize, visiting with the Jamaican Defence Force in Jamaica, and witnessing a traditional junkanoo parade in the Bahamas.
Ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour, Kensington Palace has issued a statement detailing one overarching mission the couple share. "Their Royal Highnesses are keen to understand more about the impact that the pandemic has had ... and how communities have pulled together to respond to the challenges they have faced," the statement read, per Town & Country.
Not everyone agrees with the royal family's decision for Kate and William to embark on this tour, however, given that some political leaders have called for the removal of the queen as head of state, per The Telegraph. In December 2021, Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness confirmed that a plan was in the works for the country to become a republic and remove the queen from her position, according to Loop. The announcement came after Barbados relieved the queen of this title in November 2021, per NPR.