When His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales visits Guyana for two days next month, he will travel to the Hinterland as well as spend time with children at the Joshua House Orphanage and soldiers at Camp Ayanganna.
“Georgetown is not Guyana, the same way that London is not the UK and Washington, the United States… so I think it is an opportunity to see somewhere different of Guyana,” UK High Commissioner Gregory Quinn told reporters yesterday at a press briefing to give an update on the royal visit.
Prince Harry, a former Captain in the British Armed Forces, begins a tour of the Caribbean on November 20th. Guyana is the last leg of that trip and he will arrive here on December 2nd and leave on December 4th.
The High Commissioner explained that Harry’s persona is not one of the traditional royal, pointing to the prince’s passion for children and charitable works.
“If you have looked and followed what the prince has done elsewhere, he very much loves children and is very keen that he should use the celebrity that he has to raise awareness of disadvantaged groups. The kids at Joshua House have not necessarily had the best start in life. I think he wants to use the opportunity to up the importance of ongoing support of such institutions… All of us have a duty a social duty to help those less well off than we are,” the High Commissioner said.
According to a statement from Kensington Palace, during his visit to Joshua House, which is currently home to more than 70 children, both girls and boys, Prince Harry will hear first-hand from the children living there, and the staff and volunteers about their daily lives.
The Prince will arrive at Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, according to his press team.
“His Royal Highness will make his way to the centre of the capital, stopping to call on President David Granger. He will travel on to lay a wreath at the Independence Monument, before arriving at Camp Ayanganna, the Headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force. Here, His Royal Highness will meet with groups of officer cadets, serving officers and veterans, who will take the Prince on a tour of the base. Before [going] to his hotel, Prince Harry will lay a wreath at Georgetown’s Commonwealth war graves, in honour of those who lost their lives during the two World Wars and the pre-independence period,” Kensington House explained.
Hinterland experience
The next day, Prince Harry will fly to the remote wilderness of the Hinterland. Kensington House described the hinterland visit, pointing out that over 80% of Guyana’s land mass is covered by the Amazon rainforest, and tucked away beneath these incredible canopies are indigenous communities surviving and thriving in the jungle.
“His Royal Highness will visit one such community, where he will be met by village elders, who will lead Prince Harry to the centre of this indigenous community, which is just five square miles in size. Prince Harry will receive an official welcome from the Surama villagers, around the gathering point of the village’s Totem Pole. His Royal Highness will hear more about traditional village life, and take a short trip to the village’s Eco Lodge to see how the community is embracing eco-tourism,” the statement reads.
“His Royal Highness will fly to the Iwokrama International Centre, which has a close link to Prince Harry; his father, The Prince of Wales, has been the organisation’s Patron since 2000. Prince Harry will meet with rangers to learn about the forest, and the steps being taken to protect this important reserve, and the broader conservation efforts of the Amazon. Before arriving at the reserve, Prince Harry will briefly call into Fairview Village and pay his respects to the village elders, as well as visiting the local school.
The final stop of the day will be Kaieteur Falls… To reach this staggering natural wonder, Prince Harry will take one more flight, and then a short trek through the jungle with local guides, who will explain the local flora and fauna of the area, before he reaches the falls.”
Privacy
Quinn cautioned against intrusion into the prince’s personal life. Quinn pointed to a press release from Kensington Palace, which was released this week, where Harry defended his girlfriend Meghan Markle, following the overload of tabloid attention she has been subjected to, since the public found out she was in a relationship with Harry.
Responding to a question, Quinn said, “In the context which you put it, yes he will be travelling alone… Look at the press release that was released by Kensington House last Tuesday which says basically that the prince is entitled to a private life… I think it is beholden on all of us to respect his wishes in that regard….”
Tourism boost
The High Commissioner noted that the Government of Guyana has been very supportive since it learned of Harry’s planned visit and believes the visit can help to boost local tourism.
“The government was very keen to support…Iwokrama was something we all were clear that we wanted to do because of [his father’s] connection. You cannot go into hinterland and not go to Kaieteur.
It would be crazy to bring him to Iwokrama and not Kaieteur …We wanted at the same time to give him an opportunity [to see] what that community is doing in order to sort of improve economic, social and educational well-being so we came to the same idea that Surama was a good choice for that,” Quinn said.
Asked if he felt the visit can be a tourism boost for Guyana, the UK diplomat said, “I think so. Not only Iwokrama and Surama, but I think the picture of the prince at Kaieteur, you know that iconic picture, is something which I am sure cannot do any harm whatsoever to tourism here, and I think that is something he is very happy to promote in every way he can.”
Prince Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana and fifth in line to the throne.
