Charles and Camilla to sail Caribbean in a luxury yacht to cut carbon emissions

But the Prince of Wales's decision to charter the Leander for his official 11-day tour to Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and Jamaica is an attempt to cut his carbon footprint.

The 245ft motor yacht, with its 22 crew and two chefs, has been hired from multi-millionaire British businessman Sir Donald Gosling.

Accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall on his trip next month, the Prince will have plenty of time to admire the yacht's chintzy interior, which is decorated with pretty patterned sofas, glass-fronted cabinets full of ornaments and luxurious rugs.

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Sales literature encouraging the super-rich to hire the boat promises that cabins will be cleaned as soon as guests leave them, and equipped with everything from cold champagne to cold showers.

Leander is one of the most expensive British-registered yachts in the water and usually costs about £280,000 a week, depending on the itinerary.

Clarence House said that chartering Leander would be significantly cheaper than chartering an aircraft to fly the royal party around the four islands on the tour, thus reducing the carbon footprint.

In a further effort to cut emissions and costs, Charles and Camilla will fly to and from the Caribbean by a scheduled service.

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Transport to far-flung dominions and remote foreign countries has been an occasional problem since the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned a decade ago.

At 412ft, she was nearly twice the length of Leander and her crew of more than 260 Royal Navy officers provided a far bigger complement than any other private yacht.

But Leander offers facilities that Britannia never had, including a swimming pool and a dive room.

The boat comprises two master suite cabins with a study and forward-facing saloon, three double guest-cabins with en-suite bathrooms and five twin-guest cabins with bathrooms.

It also has a jacuzzi and a fitness room.

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A Clarence House spokeswoman said the Royal trip "will reinforce Britain's ties with the important Commonwealth countries of Trinidad and Tobago".

Climate change will be high on the agenda, with Caribbean islands especially vulnerable to hurricanes.

Sustainable development in islands heavily dependent on tourism will be another of the Prince's themes, as will youth opportunities on islands where drugs and the export of them to Britain are a major problem.

The royal couple will arrive in the region on March 4.