Prince William and Kate Middleton are due to embark on their three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of April.The British royal couple will be joined by their adorable firstborn Prince George, who will be eight-months-old at the time.Kensington Palace has released a detailed itinerary of the tour, which starts off with a ceremonial welcoming in Wellington, New Zealand and culminates in the ANZAC Day march and commemorative service in Canberra, Australia.
Scroll down for a detailed itinerary of the tour.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince William and Kate Middleton
The tour is no doubt an exciting time for William and Kate. The Duke of Cambridge first made the trip to Australia and New Zealand when he was just nine-months-old and accompanying his parents Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
William, 31, last visited the two regions in March 2011 to see the effects of the devastating earthquake in Christchurch and the natural disasters in Victoria and Queensland.
Duchess Kate, meanwhile, has never visited either country – albeit a brief airport transit – but "has wanted to do so as long as she can remember," said William's private secretary Miguel Head. "It's a tremendously exciting visit and I can tell you Their Royal Highnesses are looking forward to it immensely," said Miguel. "There is no hiding the enthusiasm for this visit by both The Duke and The Duchess. The Duke has no doubt that his wife will fall in love with New Zealand and Australia every bit as much as he did, some years ago. "Kate is particularly looking forward to experiencing "some of the extraordinary warmth and hospitality for which the people of both countries are renowned the world over," added Miguel.
© Photo: Getty ImagesOn Easter weekend, William and Kate will celebrate in and around Sydney, with a visit to the Royal Easter Show at the Sydney Olympic Park. The annual cultural event attracts around 900,000 people over two weeks and honours the country's culture and its rural traditions.
On Easter Sunday, the royals will attend a morning service at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney city centre, followed by a visit to the zoo. William and Kate will view the bilby enclosure, which has been named after Prince George and was dedicated to the newborn by the Australian government for his birthday.
A highlight of the official tour, which includes various visits to war memorials, local schools, exhibitions and academies, will be a visit to the breathtaking Blue Mountains, where the Duke and Duchess will meet some of the families affected by the bushfires which swept through the area in October last year.
Dividing their time equally between Australia and New Zealand, William and Kate will be on tour from Monday 7 April to Friday 25 April.
Thursday 10 April – Blenheim – war memorial service; exhibition of World War One aircraft.
Friday 11 April – Auckland – meet base personnel at Whenuapai air force base; yacht races with the Duke and Duchess on separate yachts.
Saturday 12 April – Waikato – Duke to visit Pacific Aerospace while the Duchess visits a children's hospice; visit to a war memorial; visit to the national velodrome.
Sunday 13th April – Dunedin and Queenstown – two-day trip including Palm Sunday service; watch Rippa Rugby festival; wine tasting; experience white water ride through canyons.
Monday 14 April – Christchurch – visit city and see plans for future rebuilding.
Tuesday 15 April – free day for the family.
Wednesday 16 April – Wellington – visit to the Royal New Zealand Police College.
Wednesday 9 April – Wellington – mother and babies meeting with the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society.
Friday 25 April – Canberra – ANZAC Day March and Commemorative Service at the Australian War Memorial.
Thursday 24 April – Canberra – National Portrait Gallery; Prime Minister's reception at Government House; tree-planting at the National Arboretum and Governor General's reception.
Wednesday 23 April – Adelaide – tour of Northern Sound System and Adelaide reception.
Tuesday 22 April – Uluru (Ayer's Rock) – visit to National Indigenous Training Academy and Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, afternoon tea and tour.
Monday 21 April – day off for the family.
Sunday 20 April – Sydney – Easter Sunday church service; visit to Taronga Zoo.
Saturday 19 April – Brisbane – Duke to visit RAAF Amberley; Brisbane Reception.
© Photo: Getty ImagesFriday 18 April – Sydney – Royal Easter Show; children's hospice and surf life-saving display.
Tuesday 8 April – day to recover from 25-hour flight at a private residence.
William on tour in 2011The itinerary in full:New Zealand
Thursday 17 April – Blue Mountains – visit to fire-damaged areas and meeting with community leaders.
Monday 7 April – Wellington – arrival at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand.
Australia
Wednesday 16 April – Sydney – reception at Sydney Opera House.
