Bermuda in nearly 20 years early next year.

The Royal couple are to stop off as part of a major two-week tour of the Caribbean in late February and early March.

Apart from an 80-minute layover for refuelling at the Civil Air Terminal on the way to the Caribbean and the United States in 1983, the Queen's last visit to the Island was in 1975. She was here briefly the following year on her way to the United States' bicentennial celebrations.

Details of the 1994 itinerary are not yet available but it is believed the Queen and Prince Philip will be aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia at the end of the Caribbean tour.

The yacht will be used for the second part of the trip as a base for the couple, but it will also be used to host "sea days,'' in which government representatives and trade associations will attempt to drum up business for Britain.

The visit to Bermuda will coincide with the The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club's 150th anniversary although a Buckingham Palace spokesman could not give a specific reason for the trip yesterday. He said: "The Queen is the head of state and it is a long time since she visited the Island.'' The tour will take in trips to Anguilla, Dominica, Guyana, Belize, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Bermuda.

The Queen remains the symbolic head of state of five of the countries, and all eight are members of the 50-nation Commonwealth.

The spokesman added: "The last major visit to the Caribbean was eight years ago.'' British newspapers were today expected to carry critical reports of the trip with many people believing the Britannia to be an outdated luxury Britain can no longer afford.

Prince Philip used the yacht during a summer tour this year earning media condemnation.

One report yesterday stated: "As with all royal visits the aim is to strengthen ties with an area long connected with Britain.

"Belize could have a particular axe to grind, with many locals still worried at Britain's decision to withdraw troops stationed in the country since independence in 1981.

"Defence cuts and an improvement in relations with neighbouring Guatemala led to moves to reduce dramatically the Belize garrison, which will almost certainly figure in the royal programme.''