The Jubilee world tour

Royals to head abroad as Queen recovers

MEMBERS of the Royal Family will embark on a massive round of world tours to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The schedule was revealed as Her Majesty, 95, who tested positive for Covid on Sunday, cancelled two more virtual audiences. However Palace sources insisted she was feeling better.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will be among those making overseas trips to mark the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.

Charles and Camilla will visit Ireland from March 23 to 25 while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will tour Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas from March 19 to 26.

They wrote on Twitter: “We can’t wait to meet people in all three countries, celebrate local cultures and understand more about innovative work being done across communities.”

William and Kate will visit Mayan sites in Belize as well as exploring the country’s biodiversity.

In Jamaica they will engage with the island’s Defence Force and celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and other Jamaican musicians.

Moving on to the Bahamas, the Cambridges will visit a number of islands and experience the colourful Junkanoo parade.

It will be the couple’s first joint official overseas tour since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

THEME

Continuing the Caribbean theme, Prince Edward and wife Sophie will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines from April 22 to 28.

Princess Anne will go to Papua New Guinea from April 11 to 13 after visiting Australia to represent the Queen at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The Queen, who under new Covid guidelines would have been able to leave self-isolation yesterday, called time on her overseas travel after a visit to Malta in 2015.

At home, throughout a four-day bank holiday weekend from June 2 to June 5, the jubilee will be marked by huge events including the first Trooping the Colour since Covid and a concert at Buckingham Palace.

Concerns for the health of the UK’S longest-reigning sovereign have been heightened recently by her frailer appearance, an overnight hospital stay in October and a strained back the following month.

But palace aides insisted yesterday she would “continue with light duties” as she recovers.

The Palace has yet to confirm whether the Queen will still host a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

The event had already been scaled back from tiara and white tie to lounge suits and cocktail dresses.

russell.myers@mirror.co.uk