Jubilee tours unveiled! Kate, William, Charles, Camilla, Sophie, Edward AND Anne abroad
KATE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE and Prince William are among senior royals due to undertake tours abroad in the run-up to the historic celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
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The Royal Household issued a major statement on Thursday announcing four important overseas tours will be undertaken by senior members of the Firm. It read: "Members of the Royal Family will undertake a series of Royal Tours in the Spring of 2022.
"The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit the Republic of Ireland from Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th March 2022.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas from 19th to 26th March 2022.
"The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines from Friday 22nd to Monday 28th April 2022.
"The Princess Royal will visit Papua New Guinea from Monday 11th to Wednesday 13th April 2022."
Royal fans were quick to express their happiness following news they would see senior royals taking on extensive foreign travels again, following a two-year-long break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
One, with the nickname @Sapphireblues3, wrote on Twitter: "Amazing news! I can't wait!"
A second, @theroyalhobby, said: "Oh how wonderful! So excited for the tours, it's been a while."
Another, @loveforcambridg, added: "This is sooo exciting".
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Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams also reacted on Twitter to the announcement, focusing in particular to the upcoming tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
He wrote: "The announcement of William & Catherine’s first official overseas tour since Covid, to Belize, Jamaica & the Bahamas is very exciting. All have the Queen as head of state.
"Ideal opportunity to promote mental health, Earthshot Prize & early childhood."
Two of the four tours announced appear to be heavily focused on the Queen's realms in the Caribbean as, with the exception of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the royals are visiting every country in the region where Her Majesty remains head of state.
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These tours in the Caribbean come at a very sensitive time for the Crown and its relationship with overseas realms.
In November, Barbados bid farewell to the Queen as its head of state and became the world's youngest republic with a ceremony attended also by Prince Charles.
Barbados's move, announced in September 2020, sparked calls in other Caribbean countries including Belize and Jamaica to reconsider their links with the monarchy.
These major tours aren't the only foreign trips to be expected by royals.
In April, Princess Anne is also to travel to Australia, becoming the first royal to cross the country's border since the Government reopened it in the wake of the relaxation of Covid rules.
The Queen's daughter is to attend the Sydney Royal Easter Show, an event hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Organisers stated the Princess Royal was "specifically coming to Australia in her role as patron of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth."
Her Royal Highness will "open the 2022 Sydney Royal Easter Show where we celebrate our Bicentenary", they added.
In April, Princess Anne is also to undertake another trip abroad, which will make her the first royal to cross the Australian border since the Government reopened them in the wake of the relaxation of Covid rules.
All these visits abroad are taking place in the run-up to the long June bank holiday weekend, during which the Queen's Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated.
Among the events announced, there are a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, the Trooping the Colour parade and a concert at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen's Jubilee year officially started on February 6, on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Her Majesty is the first English sovereign to have ever reigned over the country for 70 years.