Gov’t Spends Over $8 Million during the Royal’s Visit in March

A little over eight million Jamaican dollars, was paid by the Government of Jamaica for costs associated with the visit of the Royal Couple to the island in March. A budget for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was obtained under an access to information request, which found that a total of 4-million dollars was spent on the king’s house state dinner. 

The three day visit of the Royal Couple, Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton to Jamaica in March came at a cost to the country, a price tag of over $8-million dollars. The country’s biggest spend was on the state dinner held at king’s house on March 23. At that event Prince William, like his father prior, described the slave trade as an “appalling atrocity” but that only ruffled feathers as many did not consider his words as the apology that they are demanding. In regards to the cost to Jamaica of the visit: approximately $422-thousand was spent for transportation, which includes the rental of vehicles, fuel and toll charges infrastructure and decor was the third largest figure, $804,576 which included the use of Portalets, cleaning services, decor and rental, among other things.

A total of $122,829 was allocated for media & support staff and for publication & communication services which entailed the printing of programmes, labels, stickers & promotional electronic banners which came at a cost of $302,965.The second lowest figure on the budget $50-thousand dollars was afforded to the cultural performers of the trench town culture yard and $31,687 was allocated as “contingency.” – rounding off the sum of over 8-million dollars.

Much conversation now surrounds this figure. Before the royal couple arrived during a post cabinet briefing, Information Minister Robert Morgan said that the government does not pay for royal visits but that there would be associated costs attached. The royal visit was part of a series of events in the Caribbean marking Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.