Getty Images
Following the confirmation on Wednesday by the British High Commissioner for South Africa that they’ll be heading to South Africa in the British autumn, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken to Instagram to share their excitement as well as confirming additional destinations for their Southern African official tour.
“TRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited to announce that they have been asked to carry out a tour to Southern Africa this autumn,” the post on their official Instagram, Sussex Royal, begins.
“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have requested a visit to South Africa as well as The Duke carrying out visits to Malawi and Angola. His Royal Highness will also do a short working visit to Botswana en route to the other countries.
“The Duke and Duchess are really looking forward to meeting so many of you on the ground continuing to raise awareness of the high impact work local communities are doing across the Commonwealth and beyond.”
Adding: “This will be their first official tour as a family!”
This exciting revelation confirms we’re likely to get a glimpse of baby Archie making his first overseas appearance, likely in South Africa, which according to royal correspondent Omid Scobie will be Meghan’s base for the trip.
This will officially make Archie the youngest royal to go on an overseas official tour at just over five months old. His cousin, Prince George, was eight months old when he headed on his first tour to Australia and New Zealand, meanwhile Archie’s uncle, Prince William was nine months old when he also headed down under in 1983.
The Sussexes’ post follows an official press release made by Buckingham Palace, revealing further details of the couple’s itinerary “will be advised in due course”.
During his visit to Malawi Prince Harry is expected to work on expanding the reach of his charity Sentebale, which he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in a bid to support mental health and wellbeing of children affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi.
Angola also has close ties to the Prince, with his late mother Princess Diana being a strong advocate for the clearance of all landmines from the country to make it a safer place for locals and is also an area which is home to some of the world’s most important remaining wildlife.
Harry and Meghan shared a photo of themselves attaching a tracking device to a bull elephant during a trip to Botswana in 2017. (Image: instagram/@sussexroyal)
Meanwhile Botswana holds a place very close to both Harry and Meghan’s hearts. The couple have travelled to the country several times together including early on in their relationship in 2016 and again to celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday.
Earlier this year the couple shared a never-before-seen photo of them during their trip in 2017, which showed them helping with conservation efforts of Elephants Without Borders.
