NASSAU, Bahamas, Feb. 22, 2023 — Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will be in Nassau on a two-day visit Thursday and Friday, February 23 -24.
During their visit, the Royal couple will take part in a Gold Award ceremony for the Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA), formerly known as the Bahamas Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, according to The Tribune.
Prince Edward is also the chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Awards Foundation, which has funded five projects in The Bahamas, and the Earl and Countess will visit three of those projects during their trip. They will also meet volunteers and young people taking part in the GGYA.
His Excellency Governor General Sir Cornelius A. Smith and Prime Minister Philip E. Davis will also meet the couple during their stay.
Their Royal Highnesses are on the five-day visit to the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas in support of their Patronages.
On arrival in the Cayman Islands on Monday, the Earl and Countess of Wessex were welcomed by the Governor, Mr Martyn Roper. and yesterday Little Cayman Premier G. Wayne Panton hosted lunch for them.
The Turks and Caicos Sun reported that the Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived in Grand Turk in the late afternoon of Wednesday, February 22, and were welcomed by His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin and Premier Washington Misick.
Governor Dakin said: “TCI is not short of amazing female leaders, something the Countess is passionate about. So once on land, and hosted by the Deputy Governor, the Countess will meet a selection of women role-models who have risen to the top of their professions, alongside a group of young women who seek to emulate them, including the CARICOM Youth Ambassador and TCI Junior Minister of Tourism. A mentoring program for young women aspiring to top roles in government, politics, business and civic society will be launched at this event.”
“We hope their packed program allows the Earl and Countess to leave us with strong and favourable memories of the people of Turks and Caicos,” Governor Dakin said. “The extraordinary natural beauty, bio-diversity and environment we steward; the Islands culture; the vibrancy of our young people; the commitment of our uniformed services and a better understanding of TCI’s challenges; her resilience from hurricanes and pandemic; her remarkable progress and, perhaps most of all, the ambition and the attachment the people of these Islands have, for their beautiful-by-nature home.”
With the Earl and Countess re-united, after their separate programs, Premier Misick hosted a lunch in their honour bringing the visit to a close. Those invited include representatives of: youth empowerment; business and technology; sports, fitness and wellness; arts and media; community organisations and criminal justice reform. Their Royal Highnesses will then depart, for The Bahamas.
