Prince Charles Wows Cuba

The UK Royals Thrill Cubans!!

Photos credit: Associated Press/Ramon Espinosa.

      Yesterday -- March 26th, 2019 -- Prince Charles, the future King of England, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, continued to excite Cubans on their extended visit to the island. The popular Royals Tuesday pointedly stressed their defiance of the Trump administration's renewed efforts to isolate and starve the island. 

       In the photo above Charles is shown squiring Camilla around Havana in a vintage 1953 British MG convertible, which typically has been kept fine-tuned by the famed ingenuity of Cuban mechanics.

     Later, Charles and Camilla stopped off at a park in Havana that is famous for its John Lennon bench. Across the street at the Yellow Submarine Bar and Cultural Center they heard a Cuban band singing and playing Beatles songs. Earlier, Charles had inaugurated a new Havana statue of William Shakespeare by pulling off the cover to debut it. The Royals also visited an agricultural farm where the UK is helping Cuba produce more of its food to counteract the U. S. embargo. They then attended a gala dance program at the famed Alicia Alonso Theater, visited two bio-medical centers, and met with many of Cuba's entrepreneurs who are taking advantage of new private enterprise and ownership laws. Then Tuesday night Charles and Camilla had their second state dinner with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

     But from the standpoint of helping Cuba and defying the USA, the most important chore Prince Charles performed Tuesday is shown above. He cut the ribbon to inaugurate the UK's $250 million Solar Farm at Cuba's vital, state-of-the-art, deep-water Port Mariel Economic Zone located 28 miles southwest of Havana. Later this year the Solar Farm is expected to be reducing Cuba's dependence on oil, at least partially negating the hopes of anti-Cuban zealots in Miami and Washington that the Venezuelan peril will at least finally and completely starve the Cuban economy. Solar Mariel, a wholly owned British company, is finishing the upgrade to Cuba's power grid. Significantly, standing at Prince Charles' right shoulder is 86-year-old Ramiro Valdes, one of Cuba's six Vice Presidents and one of the Cuban Revolution's last still-living legendary rebels and commanders. Valdes was at Fidel Castro's side from beginning to end in the Revolution, including at the July 26th, 1953, attack on the Moncada barracks that launched the Revolution. It perhaps was significant that Charles motioned for Valdes to be at his side for the important ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mariel, a billion-dollar port that has been dredged 60-feet deep and can handle the Supermax ships now going through the Panama Canel. Cuba believes USA Republicans and Counter Revolutionaries are very desirous of owning the Muriel Port, which is rated ultra-modern and ultra-strategic.

 Throughout their visit, Charles and Camilla have massively thrilled Cubans and gone out of their way to spend time with them and chat. Reuters journalist Sarah Marsh reported that Charles ducked into a Havana barbershop and cordially thanked the female owner for sharing her air conditioner with him. She said, "He sure didn't act like a Prince. He is genuine, inquisitive, and just a nice person."

        Walking with and chatting with Cubans along Obispo Street in Havana, Camilla was amused by the statue of the Literary Doorman holding a biography of Jose Marti and gifting visitors with a white rose, which Camilla knew referenced Marti's famous White Rose poem. Cubans were amused that Camilla was amused. "For ME!! A beautiful white rose?"

     This photo shows Lis Cuesta, the wife of President Miguel Diaz-Canel, escorting Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles, to one of the many functions Camilla requested. The Brit's knowledge of Cuban history...such as its medical research, infant mortality statistics, and Alicia Alonso's famed ballet school, etc....has impressed Cubans throughout the Royal visit.

    In fact, Camilla spent a much longer time than scheduled discussing Cuba's free health care for all Cubans when she visited pregnant women and their doctors. Later Camilla explained, "I had discussed Cuba's strong expenditures on health and education for all with top World Health Association and UN officials, but discussing it unannounced till the last moment with everyday doctors and patients was invigorating."

     While the visit to the Mariel Port has been the most important Prince Charles statement in Cuba this week, both the future King and Camilla have given Cubans a breath of fresh air with their friendliness and sincerity in caring for the people on the island. As when she was sharing the bench with the iconic John Lennon statue, Camilla kept her parasol handy to ward off some of the Caribbean sun. Camilla said, "John Lennon praised the Revolution and Cuba remembers that."

      But beyond the Mariel Port ceremony, John Lennon, the meetings and state dinners with President Diaz-Canel, etc., the image that is getting the most international attention is Prince Charles driving Duchess Camilla around Havana in a vintage and fine-tuned 1953 British MG convertible. They both enjoyed the ride.

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