Buckingham Palace has revealed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's royal tour itinerary for their upcoming visit to Africa this autumn. Harry and Meghan, who will be accompanied by their baby son Archie, will undertake a ten-day tour from Monday 23 September to Wednesday 2 October. They will spend the first three days in Cape Town, South Africa before Harry travels to Kasane, Botswana alone for a one-day private working visit. Scroll down for tour itinerary.
The Duke will then resume the tour, which is being carried out at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in Angola. Harry will spend two days in Dirico, Huambo and Luanda. He will then travel to Malawi where he will be reunited with his wife Meghan and baby Archie. The couple will end their tour in Johannesburg, South Africa.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple will be joined by their son Archie
This will be Archie's first long-haul tour abroad. The royal baby will only be four months old; in comparison, his cousin Prince George was eight months old when he joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Australia and New Zealand in 2014. Archie is expected to make at least a couple of official appearances on tour, but the palace has not revealed when.
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A royal source told HELLO!: "The couple hope to include Archie at some point in the programme, but it's difficult to schedule. He's five months old. But they hope to." Another source told HELLO! the programme had been designed to allow the couple to be with Archie at bathtime and bedtime and for other key times in his routine. Because there isn't an official arrival, the couple will first be seen in a township in Cape Town on day one of the tour. Archie won't be there.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesArchie was born on 6 May
Harry and Meghan's royal tour itinerary
Monday 23rd September: Cape Town, South Africa
Harry and Meghan will begin their tour in a township in Cape Town where the royals will view a workshop that teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety and which provides self-defence classes and female empowerment training to young girls in the community. The couple will then tour the District Six Museum, after which they will join a community cooking activity with former residents of District Six at the nearby Homecoming Centre.
Tuesday 24th September: Monwabisi Beach, South Africa
The couple 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. They will also see the work of The Lunchbox Fund, which was one of the four charities that Harry and Meghan suggested people donate to on the occasion of the birth of their son Archie. The royals will also meet with Dr Thomas Maes, who is leading the Commonwealth Litter Programme launched at the London Commonwealth Summit in 2018.
Harry will then travel by boat to Seal Island, Kalk Bay, with the City of Cape Town Marine Unit to learn about the important role they play in combatting the poaching of abalone. As Captain General of the Royal Marines, Harry 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 will be reunited with his wife and the pair will visit the Bo Kaap area to mark Heritage Day, a celebration of the great diversity of cultures, beliefs and traditions that make up South Africa. They will stop by Auwal mosque, the oldest mosque in the country, and have tea at the home of local residents. They will conclude the day by attending a reception at the British High Commissioner's Residence.
Wednesday 25th September: Cape Town, South Africa
The royals will meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation. From here, Harry and Meghan's programme will split. Harry will travel to Botswana while Meghan remains in South Africa. The Duchess will visit the Woodstock Exchange to meet female entrepreneurs and investors working in technology.
Thursday 26th September: Harry in Botswana while Meghan remains in South Africa.
Harry will begin his working visit in Botswana, first travelling to Chobe Forest Tree Reserve. He will then pay a visit to a local project run by his charity Sentebale. Next, Harry will travel to Chobe National Park, where he will dedicate an area of forest to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy. The royal party will then depart for Angola.
Harry will spend the evening at a new HALO Trust de-mining camp. In Dirico, in south eastern Angola, UK charity HALO Trust is initiating a programme of de-mining for conservation, funded by the Angolan government, which has the ambition to become landmine free by 2025. Meghan, meanwhile, will take part in a private 'Women in Public Service' breakfast at the High Commission in Cape Town.
Friday 27th September: Harry in Dirico and Huambo in Angola
Harry will visit 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. Harry will then unveil the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy project designed by himself which includes Angola's Luengue-Luiana National Park – the site of the de-mining initiative.
The Duke will then travel to Huambo, beginning his first visit to Angola in an official capacity. He will be met by the Governor of Huambo, Joana Lina, who was also the official host for the late Princess Diana's visit. Harry will visit the location where his mother was famously 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 de-mining.
Harry will then stop by the Huambo Orthopaedic Centre, also visited by his mother in 1997. The centre's new name, in honour of Princess Diana, will be unveiled by Harry, after which he will tour the facilities and make a short speech before departing for Luanda. In the evening, Harry will attend a reception at the British Ambassador's Residence.
Saturday 28th September: Harry in Angola
In Angola, Harry will have an audience with President Lourenço at the Presidential Palace. He will then visit the Maternity Hospital Lucrécia Paim. His next leg of the tour will take him to Malawi. Harry has made several private visits in the past but this will be his first official visit.
Sunday 29th September: Harry in Lilongwe, Malawi
In the afternoon, Harry will visit Nalikule College of Education in Lilongwe. He will then attend an audience with President Peter Mutharika, who he has met on previous occasions. In the evening, Harry will attend a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner.
Monday 30th September: Harry in Liwonde National Park, Malawi
Harry will fly to Liwonde National Park where he 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 royal will then proceed to the Liwonde National Park Headquarters to receive a briefing on operations. He will witness an anti-poaching demonstration exercise conducted jointly by local rangers and UK military deployed on Operation CORDED.
Tuesday 1st October: Harry in Malawi and Meghan in Johannesburg, South Africa
Harry will travel to Mauwa Health Centre, Pharmacy in a Box and Youth Reproductive Health Outreach programme. He will tour Mauwa Health Centre and then depart Malawi for South Africa.
Meanwhile, Meghan will attend a roundtable discussion with the Association of Commonwealth Universities in Johannesburg. She will meet academics and students to discuss the challenges faced by young women in accessing Higher Education. Meghan will also 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. Harry and Meghan will then be reunited to resume their joint programme in Johannesburg.
Wednesday 2nd October: Harry and Meghan in Johannesburg, South Africa
On the final day of their tour, the royals will visit a township near Johannesburg. They will then meet with Mrs Graça Machel, widow of the late former President Mandela. In the afternoon, they will attend a 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. To close the tour, Harry and Meghan will attend an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Dr Tshepo Motsepe. The royal party will then depart for London that evening.
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