The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s press tour took an exciting turn.
Prince William and Kate Middleton had the opportunity to swim with sharks in the Belize barrier reef. The two did this to raise awareness for the ocean conservation efforts of Belizean officials.
They attended Commonwealth Day festivities at Westminster Abbey without Prince Harry or Queen Elizabeth, then began their Caribbean tour.
The royal tour continued to receive criticism. As critiques and protests in Jamaica against the English Monarchy grew, William and Kate opted to move forward, with dates in Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
Prince William and Kate Middleton swim with sharks near Belize Barrier Reef
On Sunday, Prince William and Duchess Kate swam with sharks off the coast of Belize.
The Duke and Duchess posted footage of the event to their Royal Instagram. They expressed a desire to promote conservation for the barrier reef, the home of thousands of creatures.
Kate and William jumped into the crystal blue water in the footage. Prince William gave an “OK” sign to Kate as the two traversed the reef floor. The footage then showed sharks as they swam around Duchess Kate.
The video had captions that described the wildlife that resided in the reef and the importance of conservation. The Royals committed to conserving 30 percent of the reef in 2030.
They wrote for the caption, “On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef. It was a privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being done here.”
The Royals commended the government of Belize for the work they did in conservation efforts.
The Royal criticism continues amidst the Caribbean tour
Kate and William are on tour in the Caribbean, but protests continue. The Caribbean tour has been described as tone-deaf by some.
The Duke and Duchess met with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, and he expressed the country’s desire for independence.
Holness said, “Jamaica is a very free and liberal country and the people are very expressive — and I’m certain that you would have seen the spectrum of expressions yesterday.”
Holness referred to anti-colonial protests in Jamaica and the desire of many to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
The eight-day Caribbean tour moves to the Bahamas on Thursday, where it ends.