The monarchy of Belize is a system of government in which a hereditary

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

is the sovereign and

head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

. The current Belizean monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Belizean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled ''King'' ''of Belize'' and, in this capacity, he and other members of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any

constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

role. All

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

authority is vested in the monarch, and

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

is required for the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

to enact laws and for

letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

and

Orders in Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

to have legal effect. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, government ministers, and judges. Other powers vested in the monarch are significant but are treated only as

reserve power In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government, a reserve power, also known as discretionary power, is a power that may be exercised by the head of state (or their representative) without the approval of another branch or part of th ...

s and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy. The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the

abuse of power Abuse of power or abuse of authority, in the form of "malfeasance in office" or "official abuse of power", is the commission of an Crime, unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasan ...

. While some powers are exercisable only by the sovereign, most of the monarch's operational and ceremonial duties are exercised by his representative, the

governor-general of Belize The governor-general of Belize is the representative of the Belizean monarch, currently King Charles III, in Belize. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of Belize. The functions of the go ...

Origins

In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule, the British claimed the right to administer the region nowadays known as

. In 1862, the Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras was declared a British colony called

British Honduras British Honduras was a Crown colony on the east coast of Central America — specifically located on the southern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony — renamed Belize from June 1973

, and the crown's representative was elevated to a

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, subordinate to the governor of Jamaica.Bolland, Nigel. "Belize: Historical Setting". I
''A Country Study: Belize''
(Tim Merrill, editor).

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Federal Research Division The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress. The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...

(January 1992). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

.'' Under a new constitution, the United Kingdom granted British Honduras self-governance in 1964. On 1 June 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize. Independence from the United Kingdom was granted on 21 September 1981, following the signing of the Belize Independence Order in 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II, which made Belize a sovereign state and an independent constitutional monarchy.

Prince Michael of Kent Prince Michael of Kent (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British royal family who is 53rd in line to the British throne as of 2025. The younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Gr ...

represented the Queen at the independence celebrations. In the capital, Belmopan, in the morning of 21 September, Prince Michael handed the instruments of independence to George Price, who became the prime minister of the newly independent country. Elmira Minita Gordon, a sociologist, was appointed governor-general of Belize by the Queen the same day, who upon assuming office became the first female governor-general in Commonwealth history.

The Belizean Crown and its aspects

The sovereign of Belize is shared with 14 other

Commonwealth realms A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same constitutional monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III. Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the ...

, members of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

that share the same person as sovereign. However, the monarch's relationship with Belize is completely independent from his position as monarch of any other realm. Despite sharing the same person as their respective national monarch, each of the Commonwealth realms is sovereign and independent of the others. Since independence in 1981, the Belizean Crown has had both a shared and a separate character and the sovereign's role as monarch of Belize is distinct to his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom. Only Belizean ministers can advise the sovereign on matters of the Belizean state. The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution and in Belize became a Belizean, or "domesticated" establishment. This division is illustrated in a number of ways: The sovereign, for example, holds a unique Belizean title and, when he is acting in public specifically as a representative of Belize, he uses, where possible, Belizean symbols, including the country's

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and national symbol, symbolizes a given nation. It is Fly (flag), flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanin ...

and the like. Flag of the Governor-General of Belize

In Belize, the legal personality of the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

is referred to as the "Crown in Right of Belize", or "His Majesty in right of His Government in Belize", or the "Crown in right of His Majesty's Government in Belize".

Title

In Belize, the King's official title is: ''Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Belize and of His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth''. This style communicates Belize's status as an independent monarchy, highlighting the sovereign's role specifically as Sovereign of Belize, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the Commonwealth realms. Typically, the sovereign is styled "King of Belize", and is addressed as such when in Belize.

Succession

Like some realms, Belize defers to United Kingdom law to determine the line of succession. Succession is by

absolute primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

governed by the provisions of the

Succession to the Crown Act 2013 The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (c. 20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws of succession to the British throne in accordance with the 2011 Perth Agreement. The Act replaced male-preference primogenitur ...

, as well as the

Act of Settlement 1701 The Act of Settlement ( 12 & 13 Will. 3. c. 2) is an act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catho ...

, and the

Bill of Rights 1689 The Bill of Rights 1689 (sometimes known as the Bill of Rights 1688) is an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of England that set out certain basic civil rights and changed the succession to the Monarchy of England, Engl ...

. This legislation limits the succession to the natural (i.e. non- adopted), legitimate descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and stipulates that the monarch cannot be a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, and must be in communion with the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

upon ascending the throne. Though these constitutional laws, as they apply to Belize, still lie within the control of the

British parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

, both the United Kingdom and Belize cannot change the rules of succession without the unanimous consent of the other realms, unless explicitly leaving the shared monarchy relationship; a situation that applies identically in all the other realms, and which has been likened to a

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...

amongst these countries. Upon a

demise of the Crown Demise of the Crown is the legal term in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms for the transfer of the Crown upon the death or abdication of the monarch. The Crown transfers automatically to the monarch's heir. The concept evolved ...

(the death or abdication of a sovereign), it is customary for the accession of the new monarch to be proclaimed by the governor-general in the capital, Belmopan, after the accession. Regardless of any proclamations, the late sovereign's heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony. An appropriate period of mourning also follows, during which flags across the country are flown at half-mast to honour the late monarch. The day of the funeral is likely to be a public holiday. A memorial service commemorating the late monarch is likely to be held at St. John's Cathedral, Belize City.

Constitutional role and royal prerogative

The Belizean Constitution gives Belize a similar parliamentary system of government as the other Commonwealth realms, in which all powers of the state are constitutionally reposed in the monarch, who is represented by the

; appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the

prime minister of Belize This article lists the prime ministers and deputy prime ministers of Belize, from the establishment of the position of First Minister of British Honduras in 1961 to the present day. Office of the Prime Minister of Belize The office of prime ...

. The monarch's domestic duties are performed by this vice-regal representative. The role of the monarch and the governor-general is both legal and practical; the Crown is regarded as a corporation, in which several parts share the authority of the whole, with the monarch as the person at the centre of the constitutional construct.

Executive

The governor-general is responsible for appointing a prime minister, who thereafter heads the Cabinet and advises the monarch or governor-general on how to execute their executive powers over all aspects of government operations and foreign affairs. The monarch is informed by the governor-general of the acceptance of the resignation of a prime minister and the swearing-in of a new prime minister and members of the ministry. The governor-general also appoints and dismisses ministers, members of various executive agencies, and other officials. There are also a few duties which must be specifically performed by the monarch, such as signing the appointment papers of governors-general. As all executive authority of Belize is vested in the sovereign, the institutions of government are said to act under his authority; hence, the government of Belize is formally referred to as "His Majesty's Government in Belize".

Foreign affairs

The Royal Prerogative also extends to foreign affairs: the sovereign or the governor-general may negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements; no parliamentary approval is required. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of Belize; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. The governor-general, on behalf of the monarch, also accredits Belizean High Commissioners and ambassadors, and receives diplomats from foreign states. In addition, the issuance of passports falls under the Royal Prerogative and, as such, all Belizean passports are issued in the governor-general's name, the monarch's vice-regal representative.

National Assembly

The governor-general is responsible for summoning the two Houses of the

: the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

, and may at any time

prorogue Prorogation in the Westminster system of government is the action of proroguing, or interrupting, a parliament, or the discontinuance of meetings for a given period of time, without a dissolution of parliament. The term is also used for the period ...

or dissolve the National Assembly. At the opening of a new parliamentary session, the governor-general reads the

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or their representative, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a Legislative session, session is opened. ...

, outlining the government's legislative agenda. A general election follows dissolution, the writs for which are issued by the governor-general at Belize House. Further, the constitution outlines that the governor-general alone is responsible for appointing senators. The viceroy must make five senatorial appointments on the advice of the prime minister, one after consulting the Belize Advisory Council, and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, or if the position is vacant, then in accordance with the advice of person(s) selected by the governor-general in his own deliberate judgment. All laws in Belize are enacted with the viceroy's signature. The granting of a signature to a bill is known as

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

; it, and proclamation, are required for all acts of parliament, usually granted or withheld by the governor-general, with the Public Seal of Belize. The authority of the Crown is embodied in the mace of the House of Representatives, which bears a crown at its apex; unlike other bicameral realms, however, the Belizean legislature only has a mace for the lower house. Because the Belizean monarchy is a constitutional one, the powers that are constitutionally the monarch's are exercised almost wholly upon the advice of her prime minister and the

ministers of the Crown Minister of the Crown is a formal constitutional term used in Commonwealth realms to describe a minister of the reigning sovereign or viceroy. The term indicates that the minister serves at His Majesty's pleasure, and advises the sovereign o ...

in Cabinet, who are, in turn, accountable to the democratically elected House of Representatives, and through it, to the people. The monarch's role, and thereby the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

's role, is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments and agencies operate. In exceptional circumstances, however, the monarch or viceroy can act against such advice based upon his or her

s.Cox, Noel; ''Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law'': Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence; Volume 9, Number 3 (September 2002)
/ref>

Courts

The sovereign is responsible for rendering justice to all his subjects, and is thus traditionally deemed the ''fount of justice''. In Belize, criminal offences are legally deemed to be offences against the sovereign and proceedings for indictable offences are brought in the sovereign's name in the form of ''The King r Queenversus ame'. Hence, the common law holds that the sovereign "can do no wrong", and the monarch cannot be prosecuted in his or her own courts for criminal offences. The appointment of the chief justice of Belize, and other justices of the Supreme Court also falls under the Royal Prerogative, and these duties are assigned to the governor-general by the Constitution. The governor-general can also grant immunity from prosecution, exercise the "prerogative of mercy", and pardon offences against the Crown. Pardons may be awarded before, during, or after a trial. The exercise of the 'Prerogative of Mercy' to grant a pardon and the commutation of prison sentences in described in section 52 of the Belizean Constitution.

Cultural role

Belize celebrates the birthday of its monarch every year in May. The day is known as ''Sovereign's Day'', and is marked by parades in Belize City, although it is not an official public holiday, like in the UK. Horse races, conducted by the National Sports Council, are held in Belize City's National Stadium and Orange Walk Town's People's Stadium. A cycling race, also arranged by the National Sports Council, is held between the cities of Belmopan and Cayo. There is a flag-raising ceremony among other events held at schools and universities to commemorate Sovereign's Day.

The Crown and Honours

Within the Commonwealth realms, the monarch is deemed the

fount of honour The fount of honour () is a person, who, by virtue of their official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry on other persons. Origin During the High Middle Ages, European knights ...

. Similarly, the monarch, as Sovereign of Belize, confers awards and honours in Belize in his name. Most of them are often awarded on the advice of "His Majesty's Belize Ministers". Investitures are conducted by the governor-general on behalf of the sovereign. Through the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'', Belize established three national orders on 16 August 1991: the Order of Belize, the

Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction (OD) is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Ac ...

, and the Order of the National Hero. The monarch's representative, the governor-general serves as chancellor of all these orders.

The Crown and the Defence Force

The Crown sits at the pinnacle of the

Belize Defence Force The Belize Defence Force (BDF) is the military of Belize, and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the country. The BDF is under the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security, which is currently headed by Hon. Florencio Marin ...

. The monarch is the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Forces. The Crown of St. Edward appears on Belize Defence Force badges and rank insignia, which illustrates the monarchy as the locus of authority. Under the Belizean ''Defence Act'', every member of the Belize Defence Force must swear allegiance to the monarch of Belize, on taking office. The current oath is:

The Crown and the Police Force

Every member of the Belize Police Department has to swear allegiance to the monarch of Belize, on taking office. Under the Police Act of Belize, every police officer must make the following declaration on joining the Department: All riot proclamations are also issued in the monarch's name and end with the phrase "God Save the King".

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the coronation crown of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13t ...

is used on the badge of the Belize Police Department, and is incorporated into the rank insignias for commissioner, senior superintendent, and superintendent.

Royal symbols

The main symbol of the Belizean monarchy is the sovereign himself. Thus, framed portraits of him are displayed in public buildings and government offices. Many Belizeans also keep portraits of the royal family in their homes. Queen Elizabeth II appeared on some commemorative Belizean stamps. Her crowned effigy is prominently featured on Belizean coins. All banknotes of the Belize dollar featured the Queen's portrait until the introduction of a new series in 2025. A crown is also used to illustrate the monarchy as the locus of authority, appearing on police force, postal workers, prison officers, and Belize Defence Force regimental and maritime badges and rank insignia. ''

God Save the King "God Save the King" ("God Save the Queen" when the monarch is female) is ''de facto'' the national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is one of national anthems of New Zealand, two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem of the Isle ...

'' is the royal anthem of Belize. Under the Belizean Oath of Citizenship, new Belizean citizens have to take a pledge of allegiance to the monarch of Belize, and his heirs and successors.

Royal visits

20th century

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

visited Belize in 1958. The

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

visited in 1962.

represented the Queen at the independence celebrations in September 1981.

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, Queen of Belize, visited the country in October 1985. She was welcomed by the mayor and given the key to Belize City. She spent the night in Government House before flying to Dangriga the following day where she watched a Junkanoo Dance by children and received a painting from the people of the Stann Creek District. She also met British Servicemen and women stationed in Belize. During the visit, the Queen was served the famous gibnut during an official dinner. The next day, the British press in London ran headlines: "Queen Eats Rat in Belize". Ever since, the gibnut has often been referred to as "The Royal Rat", or "The Queen's Rat" in Belize. The Duke of Edinburgh returned in 1988 for a solo visit in his capacity as President of the World Wide Fund for Nature. The Queen visited again in 1994. On her arrival at the airport in Belize City, she was greeted by 90% of the city's population. The Queen also visited the towns of San Ignacio, Punta Gorda, and Cahal Pech, one of Belize's many Mayan archaeological sites. The Queen attended a special sitting of the National Assembly, where she addressed the body for the first time and spoke of Belize's "robust democracy". The Queen also noted in her speech that this was the first occasion in which she had been welcomed by a song both written and performed by a governor-general.

21st century

The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a title customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been ...

visited Belize in April 2001. The Princess visited the National Assembly of Belize at Belmopan, and the Belize Defence Force, Price Barracks, Ladyville, Belize City. During her visit, The Princess also visited San Lazaro Village Roman Catholic Primary School at Orange Walk, the Mennonite Community at Blue Creek Village, the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, Marla's House of Hope, NOPCA Saves – Children's Home (National Organisation for the Prevention of Child Abuse), Belize Zoo, and the Commonwealth War Graves at Lord's Ridge Cemetery at Belize City. In 2012,

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to ...

visited on the Queen's behalf to mark her Diamond Jubilee. During his visit, the Prince visited the remains of the ancient Mayan city of Xunantunich, launched a canoe named in honour of the Queen, and attended officially naming of the 'Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Boulevard' in Belmopan. The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge is a hereditary title of nobility in the British royal family, one of several royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom. The title is named after the city of Cambridge in England. It is heritable by male descendants by primogeni ...

visited in March 2022 on the occasion of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. During their visit, the couple visited Mayan sites, explored Belize's Maya chocolate making, and celebrated the culture of the Garifuna community in Hopkins. The Duke and Duchess also learned about the restoration efforts of Belize's barrier reef being led by communities across the country, and scuba-dived to learn more about the second-largest barrier reef in the world. At the reception hosted by Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the Duke said, "Now we know why Belize is so lovingly referred to as the Jewel. We hope to return again soon and to show our children this wonderful country. They are rather jealous that they're not here with us now". A visit to a

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

village in southern Belize was also planned, but was cancelled due to local protests.

Debate

In March 2022, the government of Belize set up the People's Constitutional Commission to review the laws of Belize, including the constitution, as well as the way the country is governed. Prime Minister

Johnny Briceño John Antonio Briceño (born 17 July 1960) is a Belizean politician who is the fifth and current prime minister of Belize since 12 November 2020 and the leader of the People's United Party (PUP) since 2016. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2 ...

has said that he will bring about a referendum on the commission's broad recommendations, which are due in 2024. In May 2023, Briceño suggested that it was "quite likely" that Belize would be the next

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same constitutional monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III. Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the re ...

to become a republic. Briceño did not say if he would introduce a bill for a referendum on becoming a republic, which would need parliamentary approval. An opinion poll conducted in February and March 2023 found that 48 per cent of respondents supported the continuation of Belize's monarchy, against 43 per cent who supported a republic. Seventy one per cent of those who stated they preferred to keep the Crown said the monarchy was a "good thing" for the country.

List of Belizean monarchs

Footnotes

External links

Belize
at The Royal Family website

Constitution of Belize
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monarchy of Belize * Government of Belize Politics of Belize 1981 establishments in Belize Monarchies of North America

Kingdoms