Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have a brand new engagement in their diary; an upcoming tour of Ireland. The royal couple will visit the Emerald Isle from Tuesday 3 March to Thursday 5 March, Kensington Palace has announced. The visit is at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Further details will be advised in due course. Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Dublin tweeted: "We look forward to welcoming The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Ireland next month."
Prince William and Kate are set to embark on a tour of Ireland
William and Kate were said to be keen to see Cork following the Queen's visit in 2011, when she became the first British royal to visit Ireland in 100 years. They will also be following in the footsteps of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who visited Dublin on their first official trip outside England as a married couple in 2019, and Charles and Camilla, who have visited Ireland five times since 2015. William and Kate have visited Northern Ireland twice in recent years.
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Their visit to Ireland isn't the only overseas visit on William and Kate's agenda. The couple are expected to visit Australia in the wake of the devastating bush fires. In a message of support on Instagram in January, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the loss of life and wildlife in the fires. "We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others," it read.
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The couple are reportedly set to visit coastal towns affected by the bushfires in Australia. According to The Sunday Morning Herald, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to issue a formal invitation to William and Kate's royal household this week. Kensington Palace has not commented on the reports. A source told HELLO! that palace officials are "very conscious that the Australian government and people have an awful lot on their plate which is more pressing".