Will Prince Charles Visit Princess Diana’s Memorial Garden With Camilla In Cuba?

Prince Charles will be heading to Cuba this week as part of his ongoing Caribbean tour with Camilla Parker Bowles.

The United Kingdom government asked the royal couple to visit the country in an attempt to help boost commercial relations and political influence. Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba, said that Prince Charles and Camilla’s visit will aim to build stronger ties with the socialist country.

Prince Charles and Camilla are scheduled to have dinner with Cuba’s President, Miguel Diaz-Canel. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will also see Havana’s restored colonial district, where they will meet young entrepreneurs and watch a parade of antique British cars.

According to Reuters, Prince Charles and Camilla would also visit Princess Diana’s memorial garden. Cubans still reportedly lay flowers at the foot of a marble structure of Princess Diana that was created by artist Juan Narciso Quintanilla.

Prince Charles and Camilla’s decision to visit the memorial garden is a significant one. This is because the three royals were involved in a major controversy together. Prince Charles was still married to Princess Diana when he rekindled his romance with Camilla.

The Prince and Princess of Wales separated 11 years after they tied the knot in 1981, and their divorce was finalized in 1996. One year later, Princess Diana passed away following a fatal car crash in Paris.

Nine years after Prince Charles’ divorce, the future King decided to wed Camilla in a civil ceremony. The couple’s union was received with a flurry of criticisms especially from Princess Diana supporters.

Meanwhile, Princess Diana is well loved in Cuba. According to Antoni Kapcia, a professor of Latin American History at the University of Nottingham, the mom of two is adored in the country even though not many people know things about her.

“It’s not easy to see why the Diana myth caught on its Cuba as and when it did, other than that she was something of a ‘star’ and ‘celebrity’ at a time when they were all just coming out of the so-called ‘Special Period’ – the years of real austerity,” he told Express.