Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge ride in a Land Rover as they attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean in Kingston, Jamaica.
Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
- Prince William and Kate Middleton echoed a moment from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s first visit to Jamaica in 1953.
- The couple stood in the back of a dark green open-top Land Rover, just as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did during their visit to Kingston.
- The Duke and Duchess arrived in The Bahamas on Thursday for the third leg of a Caribbean tour.
Prince William and Kate Middleton echoed a moment from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s first visit to Jamaica in 1953.
The royal couple attended a special military parade for service members from across the Caribbean who recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program for their final engagement of the second leg of their eight-day tour in the Caribbean.
As they departed the ceremony, the couple stood in the back of a dark green open-top Land Rover, just as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did during their visit to Kingston in November 1953.
The Land Rover that Prince William and Kate rode in on Thursday was the exact vehicle used by the queen and Prince Philip in 1966 and 1994.
SEE THE RECREATED MOMENT HERE:
Speaking to People, Jamaican Defence Force Sgt. Denver Levy, who drove the couple around the parade ground, said: “I am excited. We have practised a few times. I’m not nervous — we did something similar three or four months ago.”
In a speech during the ceremony, William said: “Congratulations to everyone on parade today. I have stood to attention myself on many parades as you do now, proud of my accomplishments, yet also hoping that the Reviewing Officer keeps the speech short.”
He also referenced his grandmother, saying, “As Catherine and I visit Jamaica to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, I thought I might quote my grandmother on the subject.
“In an address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, she said: ‘I know of no single formula for success, but over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal, and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration, to work together.’ I think that’s a very good model to follow.”
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrived in The Bahamas on Thursday for the third leg of a Caribbean tour. The tour has been marked by protests over the British Empire’s legacy and signs of waning influence of the monarchical system.
During the visit, they are scheduled to attend an assembly at a primary school, compete in a sailing regatta and participate in a cultural event featuring typical Bahamian food and music.
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