It was a festive sight that greeted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they stepped off The Royal Air Force's VIP Airbus KC2 Voyager at the Phillip Goldson International airport on Saturday evening, marking the official commencement of the Royal Tour.
The massive aircraft, which sported the name ''United Kingdom'' in bold gold letters on its side, drove onto the tarmac just after 3:30 p.m as government officials and representatives from various media houses waited in earnest under the blazing sun. After what seemed like an eternity the Prince and his wife Kate finally emerged and walked onto a red carpet that was rolled out in their honor.
After the Royals were greeted at the foot of the stairs by Belize's Governor General H.E Froyla Tzalam and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they were treated to a spectacular performance by the Belize Defence Force Marching Band. As the band played the national anthems of Belize and Britain, three miniature canons fired off their salute to the Royal couple, signaling their welcome to the jewel.
In no time the welcoming ceremony was over, and the Royals were escorted into a white Range Rover, which took them to the Laing Building to meet with Prime Minister John Briceño and his wife Special Envoy Rosanna Briceño. Thereafter, the Duke and Duchess were then escorted to the Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport where they were later airlifted out of the city, by a private helicopter, and taken to an unknown location to spend the night.
The Royal Tour will continue and includes an early morning tour of a local chocolate farm in the south. The new venue was confirmed late in the evening as part of the Government's contingency plan after a planned visit to a chocolate farm in Indian Creek Village backfired amid protests from locals. A Garifuna festival is also being planned in Hopkins Village.