Ahead of the official visits of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, questions are being raised over whether the Jamaican Government will be ‘footing the bill’ for the British royals to travel to the island.

A day after Jamaicans on social media expressed alarm at the suggestion that Prince William and Kate’s visit will be financed at taxpayers’ expense, Government officials continue to be mum on the matter.

Representing Queen Elizabeth II in her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Prince William and Duchess Kate are scheduled to visit Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize on their multi-destination tour of the Caribbean.

As of Tuesday (February 22), neither the Office of the Governor-General nor Robert Nesta Morgan, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with responsibility for Information, have responded to requests for clarification by Our Today.

Morgan, at the most recent post-Cabinet press conference, directed journalists to the Governor-General’s Office for queries related to the House of Cambridge, as King’s House is the official source for Sir Patrick Allen, the Queen’s proxy as head of state in Jamaica. 

However, when contacted yesterday, King’s House directed Our Today to go back to the OPM, insisting that Morgan would be ‘better able to speak’. 

While the Government is yet to confirm or deny the suggestions, policy from Buckingham Palace dictates that official visits to Commonwealth Realm countries, such as Jamaica, may or may not be paid for by the host country.

According to Royal.uk, the Sovereign Grant, financed by the British Government, meets the cost of official journeys undertaken by or in support of The Queen and other members of the Royal Family. 

“Travel by The Queen, The Late Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge between residences is categorised as official,” wrote Royal.uk in its 2020-2021 Sovereign Grant report.

The programme of overseas visits, however, while funded by the Sovereign Grant, must be “determined by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and approved by the Royal Visits Committee according to agreed priorities”. 

It is not clear if the Caribbean tour meets the “agreed priorities” threshold of the Royal Visits Committee.

UK publication Town & Country Magazine, which follows the Royal Family exclusively, noted in a 2019 article that, “Usually the British public pick up the bill for official overseas travel except when the royals are visiting Commonwealth Realms (countries where the Queen is also Head of State), in which case the host country pays.”