A deeply political visit to the Caribbean for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The royals will arrive in the region just four months after Barbados removed the Queen – William’s grandmother – as head of state, writes David Harding

The visit is also the first by the couple to the Caribbean since the explosion of global Black Lives Matter protests (PA)

Empires – despite the efforts of some, as we are seeing right now – fade into history.

This weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge head to the Caribbean for a seven-day trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. It promises to be the usual mix of cheesy photoshoots and solemn handshakes, and will include a celebration of “the seminal legacy of Bob Marley”. But it will also be a deeply political trip.

The royals are visiting the Caribbean at an especially sensitive time. They will arrive in the region just four months after Barbados removed the Queen – William’s grandmother – as head of state. And now Jamaica is being urged to follow suit.