Last month, a palace-sanctioned hype piece came out about a planned trip by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It seems like Kensington Palace was putting together a tour for William and Kate, specifically in Caribbean countries in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubbly year. Now the tour plan has come together and Operation Keen Charm Offensive is a go. William and Kate will visit three gorgeous, sandy, beach-holiday countries on a 12-day tour in March.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize next month as they seek to prevent further Caribbean nations from severing ties with the Queen. The couple will spend about 12 days touring the Caribbean, marking the Royal family’s first overseas charm offensive in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The visit comes at a critical time, as Commonwealth realms increasingly debate whether to follow Barbados in severing ties with the British monarchy. The tour will have a largely environmental theme but will be packed with colourful engagements designed to win over the public and draw on the deep affection and respect still held for the 95-year-old Queen. In the Bahamas, the Cambridges will visit Coral Vita, a coral farm focused on reef restoration that was last year named one of the five £1 million winners of the Duke’s inaugural Earthshot Prize.

The timing is crucial, with the undeniable appeal of a Royal visit – particularly from the young, dynamic Cambridges – acting as a convenient reminder of the substantial soft power the Royal family wields. But it will be hard to ignore the debate that is sweeping the island nations, where many want to end the long history of association with Britain as a colonial power.

In December Andrew Holness, the Jamaican prime minister, said there was “no question that Jamaica has to become a republic”. Just last week, his government further signalled its intention as Sir Patrick Allen, the governor-general, outlined its plans for the next fiscal year. He described how the newly-created Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs had been tasked with reforming Jamaica’s laws, reviewing the constitution and “the process to shift Jamaica’s status as a constitutional monarchy”. According to the Jamaica Observer, the hopes of many have been “roused” by the historic move made by Barbados in November.

The last senior royal to visit Jamaica – as well as Belize and the Bahamas – was Prince Harry, in 2012.

[From The Telegraph]

That last line is the best postscript to the story, although the Telegraph details the many ways in which Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica are all likely to assert their independence and dump the British monarchy in the months and years to come. Will and Kate want to crash into these countries, proclaim their keenness, flap their hands and gawp their way through photo-ops with Black children, and somehow that’s supposed to be a display of royalty’s “soft power.” What will end up happening is that when the lightweight Keens are incapable of stopping independence movements in three countries, they’ll be blamed for “losing” more precious Commonwealth countries. And it shouldn’t be that big of a loss to the Windsors either – clearly, they only bother going to those gorgeous countries once every ten years. Prince Harry’s ginger charm managed to save the Commonwealth’s Caribbean nations for years. If anything, Will and Kate’s International Jazz Hands Tour will speed up the independence process across the board.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Backgrid and Kensington Palace.