Prince William and his wife embark on a tour of the Caribbean that has been marred by a protest in Belize

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate will arrive in Belize on Saturday, starting a week-long tour of the Caribbean that was marred by domestic outcry even before it began, amid growing criticism of the British Empire's colonial-era ties to the region.

The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the region coincides with celebrations of the 70th year of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne and comes nearly four months after voters in Barbados voted to convert it into a republic and cut ties with the monarchy despite it remaining part of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations.

The Queen's grandson and his wife are scheduled to spend the first three days of their tour in Belize, which was formerly British Honduras.

But on the eve of their departure to start the tour, a meeting scheduled for Sunday was canceled when dozens of villagers staged a protest.

Residents of Indian Creek, an aboriginal Mayan village in southern Belize, told Reuters they were upset that the royal couple's helicopter had been granted permission to land at a soccer field without prior consultation.

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