Harry and Meghan to visit New Zealand and Australia

In autumn the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will go on an official visit to Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Tonga according to an announcement made by the Kensington Palace on Sunday. Since getting married, this is the first official royal visit to be announced. Both Harry and Meghan are following in the footsteps of Charles and Diana. They both also went to Australia and New Zealand on the first royal tour. The tour will take place during the fourth Invictus games to be held in Sydney in October. The Invictus Games is a Paralympic-style competition which will occur between 20 to 27 October. The event is for the wounded, injured and sick service personnel. Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, stated that the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has become a champion for war veterans by laying the foundations of the Invictus Games. Last year 17 countries competed in 12 sports with 550 participants in the event.  

The governments of Australia and New Zealand invited the royal couple; however, the couple will visit Tonga and Fiji at the request of the UK foreign office. Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent 41 days and traveled 23,701 miles on their visit to New Zealand and Australia in 1983. Moreover, Harry's elder brother and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, spent 18 days in the two countries in April 2014. This visit will provide an insight into the abilities of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to handle the royal duties. Furthermore, it is also important for the royal couple as it has begun to take an active role in the commonwealth.