Related Articles
Buckingham Palace has given more details of the official visit to Southern Africa that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make later this month.
Prince Harry, 34, Meghan Markle, 38 and their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, four months, will go to Angola and Malawi, and undertake a short working visit to Botswana, between September 23 and October 2, the palace said in a statement.
Suggesting it would be an opportunity for the Duke and Duchess to ‘highlight many of the causes they’ve been involved with for years’, the statement read: ‘This will be Their Royal Highnesses’ first official tour as a family.’
The statement added: ‘In a particularly significant and poignant journey, the Duke of Sussex will have the opportunity to return to Angola to see first-hand the legacy of his mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whose visit to Huambo in 1997 helped raise awareness of the threat posed by landmines to communities and livelihoods.’
In a post shared on their Sussex Royal Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess said they are ‘excited’ to announce the details of their 10-day tour – before sharing a series of photographs, including a poignant snap of Princess Diana.
Buckingham Palace has revealed details of the official visit to Southern Africa that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make later this month. Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor during a photocall in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire
The royal couple shared a series of images alongside their announcement of details of the upcoming tour of Africa on Instagram, poignantly choosing a snap of Princess Diana as the second image
Monday 23 September
The first day of the tour will begin in a township in Cape Town where Prince Harry and Meghan will view a workshop that teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety. It also provides self-defence classes and female empowerment training to young girls in the community
Their Royal Highnesses will later tour the District Six Museum to learn about their work to reunite members of the community forcibly relocated during the apartheid era.
The Duke and Duchess will also join a community cooking activity with former residents of District Six at the nearby Homecoming Centre.
Tuesday 24 September
In the morning, their Royal Highnesses will travel to Monwabisi Beach to learn about the work of ‘Waves for Change’, an NGO which trains and supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to young people.
The Duke and Duchess will also see the work of The Lunchbox Fund, one of four charities to benefit from donations made by the public to celebrate the birth of their son Archie.
Prince Harry and Meghan shared details of their royal tour of southern Africa, which will take place from 23 September-October 2
Meghan and Harry announced their royal tour on their Instagram account, delighting fans with a snap from Joff Youth Centre in Peacehaven, Sussex on October 3, 2018 in Peacehaven
They will also meet Dr Thomas Maes, who is leading the Commonwealth Litter Programme launched at the London Commonwealth Summit in 2018, in support of the Commonwealth Blue Charter.
The Duke will then join the City of Cape Town Marine Unit to travel by boat to Seal Island, Kalk Bay, to learn about the important role they play in combatting the poaching of abalone, considered one of South Africa’s most significant illegal wildlife trade concerns.
As Captain General of the Royal Marines, His Royal Highness will be accompanied by two members of the Royal Marines who have been providing capacity building and skills training to the Marine Unit.
In the afternoon, The Duke and Duchess will visit the Bo Kaap area to mark Heritage Day, a celebration of the great diversity of cultures, beliefs and traditions that make up the rainbow nation of South Africa.
Their Royal Highnesses will visit Auwal mosque, the oldest mosque in the country, where they will meet representatives from different faith groups to hear about the strength of interfaith dialogue in Cape Town.
Afterwards, the Duke and Duchess will visit local residents who will host them for a cup of tea in their home.
Their Royal Highnesses will conclude the day by attending a Reception at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, where they will meet inspiring opinion formers and young future leaders.
Wednesday 25 September
The Duke and Duchess will meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation.
The Duke last met Archbishop Tutu in 2015, when he presented him with an honour in recognition of his services to UK communities and international peace and reconciliation.
From here, Their Royal Highnesses’ programme will split – The Duke will travel onwards to Botswana while The Duchess remains in South Africa.
On the afternoon of 25th September, The Duchess will visit the Woodstock Exchange to meet female entrepreneurs and investors working in technology.
Her Royal Highness will highlight the benefits of networking between aspiring female entrepreneurs and successful female role models.
Thursday 26 September
The Duke will begin his working visit to Botswana, first travelling to Chobe Forest Tree Reserve, where he will join schoolchildren to plant trees and raise awareness of the fragility of these vital ecosystems.
His Royal Highness will then pay a visit to a local project run by his charity Sentebale which focuses on improving the mental health of young people affected by HIV.
From there, he will travel to Chobe National Park, where he will dedicate an area of forest to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
The party will then depart for Angola. His Royal Highness will spend the evening of 26th September at a new HALO Trust demining camp.
On Thursday 26th, Her Royal Highness will take part in a private “Women in Public Service” breakfast at the High Commission in Cape Town.
Princess Diana visited Angola in January 1997, raising awareness of the threat posed by landmines to communities and livelihoods
Prince Harry and Meghan shared a series of snaps as they announced details of their royal tour across Africa today (above, one of the images featured on the SussexRoyal account)
Friday 27 September
Day five will begin early with a visit to a working de-mining field outside Dirico. The Duke will remotely detonate a mine and meet members of the community. His Royal Highness will give remarks about the importance of continuing de-mining.
The Duke will then unveil the unique, three-country Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project designed by His Royal Highness which includes Angola’s Luengue-Luiana National Park – the site of the de-mining initiative.
Representatives from Botswana and Namibia will join Angolan Ministers to celebrate this collaboration and additional protection for National Parks abutting the Okavango Delta, with the objective of creating safe and green corridors for wildlife and, importantly, communities.
His Royal Highness will then travel to Huambo, beginning his first visit to Angola in an official capacity.
Photographs of the late Princess Diana visiting a de-mining site and meeting mine victims became iconic and powerful images in support of her campaign to create a global mine ban – which came to fruition in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention that same year.
On arrival, His Royal Highness will be met by the Governor of Huambo, Joana Lina, who was also the official host for the late Princess Diana’s visit.
Accompanied by the Governor, The Duke will visit the location where his mother was photographed. He will see how an area that was a dangerous minefield in 1997 is now a busy street with schools, shops and houses – a demonstration of the benefits of demining.
His Royal Highness will be escorted to the location by a member of the HALO Trust team, Valdemar Gonçalves Fernandes, who was part of the de-mining teams working in the area during Princess Diana’s visit.
His Royal Highness will meet representatives of all three de-mining organisations working in Angola under the UKAid Global Mine Action Programme.
He will then proceed to the Huambo Orthopaedic Centre, also visited by his mother in 1997. Recently renovated, it aims to become Angola’s national centre of excellence in orthopaedic care.
His Royal Highness will be greeted by the Minister for Health, the Director of the Orthopaedic Centre, and a representative of BP, which has donated equipment to the centre.
The centre’s new name, in honour of Princess Diana, will be unveiled by His Royal Highness, after which he will tour the facilities and make a short speech before departing for Luanda.
In the evening, His Royal Highness will attend a Reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence. He will meet business representatives and learn about Angola’s economic transformation and business landscape.
Prince Harry visited Angola with the Halo Trust in 2013, where he discussed future mine clearance
Saturday 28 September
On day six, the morning of Saturday 28th September, The Duke will have an Audience with President Lourenço at the Presidential Palace.
He will then visit the Maternity Hospital Lucrécia Paim to see the work of a project spearheaded by First Lady Ana Dias Lourenço ‘Born Free to Shine’ which focuses on preventing HIV/AIDS transmission from mothers to babies.
His Royal Highness will then travel to Malawi for the next leg of his tour. This will be The Duke’s first official visit to Malawi, although he has made several private visits in the past and enjoys close working relationships with partners on the ground.
In one of the images shared by Harry and Meghan, a woman is seen beaming while holding some small scrubs
Sunday 29 September
The Duke will arrive in Lilongwe on Sunday 29th September. That afternoon, he will visit Nalikule College of Education and interact with a network of young women who are supported to attend and complete secondary school with the help of UKAid bursaries through the Campaign for Female Education.
The Duke will see the impact of UK investments to ensure that girls obtain at least 12 years of quality education.
The Duke will then attend an Audience with the President Peter Mutharika who he has met on previous occasions.
In the evening, His Royal Highness will attend a Reception hosted by the British High Commissioner. The Reception will highlight our common links and strengthen the meaningful, modern partnership between the UK and Malawi.
Monday 30 September
On day eight of the programme, His Royal Highness will fly to Liwonde National Park.
There, The Duke will pay tribute at the memorial site for Guardsman Mathew Talbot of the Coldstream Guards, who lost his life in May 2019 on a joint anti-poaching patrol with local park rangers.
The Duke will then proceed to the Liwonde National Park Headquarters to receive a briefing on operations.
His Royal Highness will witness an anti-poaching demonstration exercise conducted jointly by local rangers and UK military deployed on Operation CORDED. To conclude,
His Royal Highness will dedicate Liwonde National Park and the adjoining Mangochi Forest to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, joining Chimaliro Forest, which was dedicated by The Duke of Gloucester in 2018. Liwonde National Park is managed by African Parks.
Amongst the gallery shared by Prince Harry and Meghan was a snap of children playing with a water tap
Tuesday 1 October
The Duke will travel to Mauwa Health Centre, Pharmacy in a Box and Youth Reproductive Health Outreach programme.
The Duke will tour Mauwa Health Centre and then depart Malawi for South Africa. Meanwhile, on the 1st October, Her Royal Highness will attend a roundtable discussion with the Association of Commonwealth Universities in Johannesburg.
The Duchess will meet academics and students to discuss the challenges faced by young women in accessing Higher Education.
Her Royal Highness will then visit a school to learn about the work of a local charity, which receives UK Aid funding for its work to raise awareness of and tackle sexual violence in schools.
Following The Duke of Sussex’s arrival from Malawi later that evening, Their Royal Highnesses will resume their joint programme in Johannesburg.
Wednesday 2 October
Their Royal Highnesses will visit a township near Johannesburg where they will meet with inspiring local youth, entrepreneurs and view skills initiatives addressing the rising unemployment challenge faced by young people in South Africa.
Later that day, they will meet with Mrs Graça Machel, widow of the late former President Mandela.
The Duke last met with Mrs Machel in South Africa in 2015. The Duke and Duchess will together attend an afternoon Reception to celebrate the UK and South Africa’s important business and investment relationship, looking ahead to the Africa Investment Summit the UK will host in 2020.
Their Royal Highnesses will meet representatives of the British and South African business communities, with a particular focus on entrepreneurs and the creative industries.
To close the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will attend an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Dr Tshepo Motsepe. Their Royal Highnesses will depart for London that evening.
