The Earl and Countess of Wessex to visit Barbados in 2012: Queen's Diamond Jubilee Tour

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Members of the Royal Family will travel to Barbados, and other Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, visiting every Realm, representing The Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, will be visiting Barbados. He is the third son of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. The Earl of Wessex, last visited Barbados in March to support of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association, Gold Award Ceremony and other fund-raising events.

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will be visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, supported by other members of the Royal Family, will mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a series of regional visits and engagements throughout the United Kingdom during 2012.

To mark 60 years of The Queen's reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012. The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend in 2012 on 2^nd - 5^th June.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex will specifically visit Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee next year with extensive Royal tours across the globe, but Dominica will not be visited by any member of the Royal Family. At this time there has been no press release as to why Dominica has been excluded, Trinidad and Tobago has been included which also doesn't have the Queen as its head of state.

Unlike other former British colonies in the region, Dominica was never a Commonwealth realm, instead becoming a republic on independence. Dominica is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state.(wikipedia)