Day 5 of the Cambridge Tour of the Caribbean (yesterday March 23) saw Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge visit with the Prime Minister of Jamaica before visiting Shortwood Teachers’ College, Spanish Town Hospital, and Caribbean Military Technical Training Institute.

Note: I’m splitting the posts from Day 5 into two parts: this post will focus on the day events and Kate’s speech; and the second post will focus on the evening event and William’s speech.

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The first stop of the day was a visit with the Prince Minister of Jamaica, the Hon. Andrew Holness MP, and his wife, Juliet Holness. While there, the royal couple signed the guest book and were presented with an official gift of Appleton Estate Ruby rum, created by the first female master blender in the world Dr. Joy Spence.

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During the visit, the PM took the opportunity to discuss Jamaica’s intention to remove The Queen as Head of State.

“We’re very, very happy to have you and we hope you’ve received a warm welcome of the people,” he 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,” he continued, referencing the couple’s warm welcome in Trench Town, which followed a protest calling for slave reparations from the British monarchy in the country’s capital.

“There are issues here, which as you know, are unresolved, but your presence gives us an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, to be out front and center and to be addressed as best we can. But Jamaica is, as you would see, is a country that is proud of its history and very proud of what we have achieved. And we’re moving on and we intend to [attain, in short order, our development goals and] fulfill our true ambitions and destiny to become an independent, developed and prosperous country.”

PEOPLE

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The next stop was to Shortwood Teachers’ College, as Patrons of The Royal Foundation, to highlight the work of the college, which was one of the first to offer training in early childhood education and is a leading proponent of the field.

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The college was founded in 1885 as part of the package of widespread social, economic, and political reforms spearheaded by Sir John Peter Grant – who was appointed Governor of Jamaica after 1865. In 1880, Thomas Capper, B. A., newly appointed Superintendent of Schools, emphasized the need for more trained women “of quality” to be trained as teachers. He felt that their influence on the minds and manners of young child could be salutary for the development of the people. On September 28, 1885. The Jamaica Female Training College, with Miss Amy Johnson as its Principal and Miss M. C. Randall as her assistant, opened its door to eighteen students.

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The KP PR team, very frustratingly, have not put out the transcripts of William or Kate’s speeches during this tour. But here are some of Kate’s remarks via People, and a video with some of the speech is below (her speech begins at 2:05).

“I truly believe we are on the cusp of one of the biggest opportunities for positive change in generations,” she said in a speech at Shortwood Teacher Training College in Kingston. […]

“It is so wonderful to hear your ideas and enthusiasm for teaching and the hopes you have to influence the lives of young people,” […]

Kate said of the school, which was founded in 1885, “Shortwood is obviously a very special place, with a proud history. Because, as you know, it has been supporting teachers and therefore the children of Jamaica for over one hundred years.” […]

In her remarks on Wednesday, the Duchess noted that children’s earliest experiences are critical to their long-term development: “It is when we learn how to form relationships, how to connect to one another, how to manage our feelings and emotions. It is when we learn to develop a sense of identity, belonging and worthiness. And it is when we shape our values and understanding of the world we live in.”

She continued, “That is why I am so passionate about early childhood. Because we are doing something much more than building healthy children. We are nurturing the children and the adults that they will become, the families they will build and the communities they will be part of.”

And she made a point to recognize the members the teachers and future teachers in attendance for standing on “the front line of this vital work [and playing] a crucial role in shaping our societies by positively impacting the futures of literally thousands of young people over the course of your careers.”

PEOPLE

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The next stop was to Spanish Town Hospital in Spanish Town, Jamaica to visit with doctors, nurses, and staff. More about the visit from the Daily Mail:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have paid a touching tribute to healthcare workers around the world after they toured a Jamaican hospital on the fifth day of their tour of the Caribbean to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

William and Kate visited Spanish Town Hospital, which is celebrating its 70th birthday this year, to hear first-hand how the pandemic has impacted the country’s healthcare system.

They were spotted viewing the newborns wall on a maternity ward alongside meeting doctors, nurses and other members of staff to discuss their experiences on the Covid-19 frontline. The couple also unveiled a plaque with the Minister of the Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufon.

Daily Mail

I adore all the little babies in graduation gowns and caps!

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William and Kate also visited Caribbean Military Technical Training Institute but I cannot find any photos from that event, so I’ll move on to fashion.

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I wish Kate had swapped this day’s outfit and her Jamaica arrival outfit. I think this one would have worked better deplaning. But I digress.

Kate wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit with a Ridley London blouse. She also sported another vintage piece: a “Raffia & Beads” vintage 1960s beaded wooden handle bag.

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