Prince of Wales to visit hurricane-hit Caribbean islands

Last updated: November 15, 2017 at 21:18 pm

The Prince of Wales will visit three Caribbean countries this weekend to see how communities are recovering after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

His first stop will be Antigua and Barbuda. He will then move on to the British Virgin Islands.

His final visit will be to Dominica.

It will be the first official visit by the Prince to any of those islands.

The 69-year-old royal will be joined during the visit by Penny Mordaunt, the new international development secretary.

A large swathe of Caribbean islands suffered severe devastation during September's storms, and many communities have been displaced.

Barbuda was left "barely habitable", according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, while Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said his island had "lost all".

Queen Eliizabeth II remains head of state for Antigua and Barbuda, which is a Commonwealth realm, and the British Virgin Islands are a British overseas territory.

Dominica is a Commonwealth nation.

The British Government was criticised by some for the speed of its response in providing aid and support after the region was struck.

But the UK has so far committed £62 million to the relief effort following Irma and Maria and has promised to match public commitments to the British Red Cross Appeal up to £3 million.

A spokeswoman for Mordaunt said: “The international development secretary will also be joining the visit to see first-hand the impact of the UK government’s humanitarian relief efforts that were monumental in getting the islands open for business and tourists following the hurricanes."