Royal visit to Cuba gives us an edge amid political chaos

While the Prince of Wales has been on tour in the Caribbean, and Havana in Cuba — where he is now — Brexit has understandably dominated the headlines back home.

But for Charles, who made history by becoming the first British royal to visit the Communist island state, action speaks louder than words.

This charm offensive, inspired by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, comes at a time of transition for Britain and Cuba, where dictator Fidel Castro ruled with an iron fist from 1959 to 2008.

Everything has gone like clockwork, with Charles’s PR machine, led by his respected communications secretary Julian Payne, working closely with UK government officials.

Even the arrival on the Royal Air Force Voyager plane — our version of the US presidential plane Air Force One — gave the impression that Britain means business amid Brexit uncertainty.

As for Cuba, its ballet star Carlos Acosta, whom the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall met, said publicly that now is the time for his country to reach out to the world. The dancer, who spent 17 years as the Royal Ballet’s principal guest artist and was awarded a CBE, said after meeting Charles and Camilla that he was full of hope for the future.

“From the Cuban perspective it is a time for building bridges, to reach out to the world, and I think also for the UK, they are doing the same with this inevitable Brexit going forward, so I think it’s just the perfect fit,” he said.

Amid all the political drama back home, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday tellingly tweeted: “The royal visit to Cuba is a great example of bold and pragmatic UK diplomacy. I spoke to foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez today to help move forward the UK/Cuban relationship but also deliver robust messages where we disagree.”

Robust or not, the Cubans have pulled out all the stops.

And with the popular younger royals playing such a prominent role on the world stage, there is no doubt they give Britain an edge, too.

Clearly Meghan Markle has bolstered the brand’s image. And Charles has been a rock to his son Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex. He is understood to have told them to “soldier on” in the face of some unwarranted negative headlines, and has assisted them in setting up their own household financially.

There has also been an overhaul of royal communications following the departure of director Sally Osman and the sideways move of communications secretary Jason Knauf, who is now a special adviser to the Cambridges.

Sara Latham will take charge of the Sussexes’ media operations, while the Cambridges’ new communications secretary Christian Jones, a former government speechwriter, is regarded as “smart and professional”.

This reorganisation is of the utmost importance, as the royals will play a key role in so-called “soft power” diplomacy, whatever the future holds.