EDITOR, The Tribune.

BEFORE London’s Big Ben strikes midnight on Sunday, a letter addressed to King Charles III will be hand delivered to Buckingham Palace expressing the hope that the King will be able to celebrate the Bahamas’ 50th anniversary of independence in this country.

The letter, written to King Charles III by Captain Toby CS Smith of Nassau, thanks His Majesty for “welcoming our Prime Minister on his official trip to Your Majesty’s Coronation” and congratulates His Majesty on “ascending to being King”.

In his letter Capt Toby Smith then says: “I wish to alert Your Majesty of a travesty occurring in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; I write with extreme concern. As you are aware, Crown Land is placed in the trust of the Government of The Bahamas, by Your Majesty, to exercise care and control, with the fiduciary responsibility to utilise the Crown Land for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

“I wish to formally advise you that Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are attempting to now receive even more Crown Land despite already receiving many tens of acres.

“The Government of The Bahamas have demonstrated facilitating requests for Crown Land by foreigners, without delay, while there are more than 35,000 applications made by Bahamians who must form a different, segregated queue. Being subject to this segregation and as a Bahamian I bring my concern to Your Majesty, having been granted a Crown Land Lease by ex-PM Hubert Minnis, after eight years of begging, only for the same Crown Land to be double dealt to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

“I sincerely hope Your Majesty is able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bahamas’ independence in The Bahamas. The Paradise Island Lighthouse and Beach Club seeks to fully restore the Hog Island Lighthouse, the oldest in the West Indies, built in 1817 and we look forward to welcome Your Majesty for a personal tour.”

Captain Toby CS Smith,

Paradise Island -

May 10, 2023.