The small dock over the turquoise water was crammed full. There were local dignitaries, a few island elders and a dozen children in school uniform — one of them was holding an official looking plaque. A pool of photographers was sequestered behind a rope. Everyone was poised and ready.
On shore, the open-air bar at Valentine’s swelled to capacity. A sample of the island’s famous pink sand had been trucked in and filled a makeshift box, ready to be admired for its rosy glow.
A banner was unfurled, welcoming the young Prince. It started to rain.
Everyone scrambled for shelter. The children began to shriek. An important and aged woman in a leopard skin dress was assisted under cover. Photographers shoved their long lenses up their shirts and looked put upon. Prince Harry was due to arrive for a brief State visit to Harbour Island in the Bahamas in exactly three minutes. Word over the walkie-talkie said that his boat had already left Eluethera, just a five-minute ride across the bay. And the well-orchestrated assemblage was thrown into chaos under a warm drizzle.
