As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continue their first royal tour of the Caribbean, many might recognise a moment the couple shared from a similar event during a royal tour in 1953.
On their final morning in Jamaica, the Duke and Duchess attended a special military parade for service members from across the Caribbean. The members had recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Programme. The programme helps prepare officer cadets to perform duties and fill roles at the basic officer level of leadership.
As they left the ceremony, Their Royal Highnesses stood in the back of a green open-top Land Rover, just as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip did when they visited Kingston in November 1953. That visit would be part of the newly crowned Queen’s first Commonwealth tour. It’s not only a similar image for the Duke and Duchess, but the Land Rover they rode in was also used by Her Majesty and Prince Philip in 1966, and again in 1994.
During the ceremony, the Duke 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.
“You have formed friendships which will last a lifetime, and built a network of camaraderie and experience to call upon in the future. I know very well from my own time at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst what a formative experience this year will have been.”
After the ceremony, the couple met newly commissioned officers and staff at the Jamaica Officers’ Club. The event was hosted by Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, the first and only woman to achieve a Flag Rank.
For the occasion, the Duke wore the Blues and Royals uniform, the second-most senior regiment of the British Army. As for the Duchess, she chose a white lace Alexander McQueen dress with a hat designed by Philip Treacy.
The Duke and Duchess are now in The Bahamas where they will finish their tour.
