Prince Charles Will Participate in UW Event on Little Cayman 03/28/19

[KathyV]

From the shore I mean!

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived on Grand Cayman today and took part in the dedication ceremony for the new (almost finished) Owen Roberts airport and then they made several other public appearances.

Charles has another full day tomorrow (March 28) and will visit both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. On LC he will go to the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CMMI) to speak with school-children and he will also converse with a diver broadcasting from the reef, see below.

I think it's nice that he is bringing attention to the marine conservation work done by CMMI.


Cayman ready to welcome royal couple | Cayman Compass

"...Next day, Prince Charles will open the new swimming pool on Cayman Brac Sports Complex at 11 a.m. in a brief ribbon cutting ceremony before children dive into the new pool.

He will also visit the Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman at 12:30 p.m. and talk to schoolchildren, as well as a diver broadcasting from beneath the waves. The prince will then fly by helicopter from Little Cayman, touching down at Clifton Hunter High School before heading to the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Garden where he will open the new children’s garden and meet Peter the Blue Iguana..."

 

[KathyV]

There are indications that the royal visit to Cayman Brac may have finally provided the impetus for the demolition of that long-abandoned eyesore, the Divi Tiara resort, and here's another example of a positive outcome:

"During Prince Charles’s visit to the Botanic Park, Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour announced that the Cabinet has approved draft instructions to expand marine parks across the Cayman Islands."

https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/03/27/royal-visit-2019/

 

[KathyV]

Well, the underwater audio connection didn't work but it sounds like it was a nice visit:

Prince tours Sister Islands, meets with locals | Cayman Compass

 

[AggieDiver]

Sounds like the frequent audio problems they had with the DiveLive audio weren't limited to that setup.

 

[KenGordon]

From the shore I mean!

Why?

Diving On The Mary Rose Stock Photos & Diving On The Mary Rose Stock Images - Alamy

Old bloke reliving his better days in a rubber suit sounds just the thing for SB

 

[caydiver]

Love the pictures. It was great for locals to have HRHs here. It is probably a bit harder for Americans to get their heads around but it was so friendly and welcoming and this may very well be The Commonwealths future King. Have to say they worked their royal tushes off with the number of events.

 

[scubadada]

Love the pictures. It was great for locals to have HRHs here. It is probably a bit harder for Americans to get their heads around but it was so friendly and welcoming and this may very well be The Commonwealths future King. Have to say they worked their royal tushes off with the number of events.

Right, very difficult to understand, so nice to be visited by the royal family, nice reminder of the colonial days. Out of interest, where are you from @caydiver ?

 

[caydiver]

Believe it or not I am American. Born in Ireland of Irish parents so no big ties to GB. Lived many years since infancy in US. Married a Brit born in South America so outside the box. Lived in U.K. for a few years. Having worked in the US exposed to I guess some very high ranking individuals and the security and hands off approach to their travel arrangements, I found this event eye opening so welcoming to I guess their “subjects” I was totally blown away and lost some cynicism. Not an easy task at my age. I really was amazed by the openness but perhaps shouldn’t have been surprised.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @caydiver

Thanks for the explanation, not something I can understand. Why does the UK have and want a royal family? Is it tradition, history, or is it a reminder of the more glorious days as a colonial power? Things have certainly changed.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Hi @caydiver

Thanks for the explanation, not something I can understand. Why does the UK have and want a royal family? Is it tradition, history, or is it a reminder of the more glorious days as a colonial power? Things have certainly changed.

Not sure I can answer well, but like all social media that won't ever stop me.....

I'm a dual Canadian/US citizen so in theory I swear allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I also pledge allegiance to a flag. Of the two, allegiance to a person seems more rational than allegiance to an inanimate object.

Another aspect is that the Queen holds no real power, but is a powerful symbol that can unite people. (In that respect, not unlike a flag....) That seems to be what @KathyV is getting at. During WW II, the King stayed in London at personal risk. This buoyed morale. Other monarchs left their countries after invasion by the Nazis, but formed "governments in exile" when ordinary means of forming governments weren't an option. Thus Holland, for example, could pledge to pay repay certain war costs incurred by resistance fighters after the war. The ordinary process of elections and such couldn't happen, of course.

Then there's the history and pageantry that are just fun: What fun would it be at Horse Guard Parade in London if archaically dressed cavalry didn't shout "Make way for the Queen's Guard!" when they changed the guard? Who doesn't love a royal wedding? The US equivalent (Kardashian nuptials?) hold no interest for me. (And I suspect monarchies tend to be money-makers for local tourist industries. Who wants to watch a royal changing of the guard if there's no royal? That can be an extra half-day of time in London by each tourist....)

That, and HRH Prince Charles and I are 16th cousins. Through my Swedish ancestors, about 700 years ago. And yet I've never gotten so much as a Christmas card....