Prince on brief royal visit

(CNS): The queen’s youngest son and the member of the British Royal Family with the closest relationship to the Cayman Islands will be taking a whistle stop tour of the country (today) Thursday 5 February when he flies in to take a look at the post Paloma situation on the Brac and gives out Duke of Edinburgh awards on Grand Cayman. HRH Prince Edward is scheduled to spend the morning meeting Cayman Brac residents displaced by Hurricane Paloma and assessing the damage.

He will be visiting Spot Bay to view homes damaged and meet with residents at Community Cove. He will also visit the damaged Creek police station and the temporary trailer park at Watering Place. He will also stop at the Veterans & Seaman’s Society Building and the Brac Reef Beach Resort before flying on to Grand Cayman.

The Prince will present the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme medals at a Government House ceremony at 2:15 pm  and will leave for Barbados in the late afternoon.

 “The main aim of Prince Edward’s Cayman Brac visit is to see the hurricane damage, talk to some residents whose homes were severely damaged, and to inspect work on the recovery process,” said Governor’s Office Acting Head Alan Drury.

This is HRH the Earl of Wessex’s fourth visit to the Cayman Islands. In May 2003, he participated in Cayman’s Quincentennial celebrations. In November 2004, the Earl visited in order to inspect the recovery process in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Again in February 2007, he toured the islands on a three day-visit.

His itinerary on Thursday will be:

10:00 am: HRH Prince Edward arrives at the Gerrard Smith International Airport, met by Acting Governor George McCarthy, MLAs Julianna O’Connor-Connolly and Moses Kirkconnell, District Commissioner Ernie Scott, and Acting Head of the Governor’s Office Alan Drury.

10:05 am Depart for Spot Bay to view homes damaged by Hurricane Paloma and meet with residents at Community Cove.

10:55 am Depart for Creek to inspect the damaged Police Station (vacated since Hurricane Paloma).

11:10 am Depart for Watering Place to visit temporary trailer site which houses residents who lost their homes during Paloma.

11:30 am Depart for the airport with short stops at the Veterans & Seaman’s Society Building and Brac Reef Beach Resort.

12:00 noon Arrive at the airport where Cayman Brac students will see off HRH Prince Edward.

12:05 pm Depart for Grand Cayman.

12:30 pm HRH Prince Edward arrives in Grand Cayman where he will be met by the Acting LOGB Anthony Eden, LA Opposition Member Capt Eugene Ebanks, and Acting Police Commissioner James Smith.

2:15 pm Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Ceremony and Reception

16:15 pm Depart for Barbados.