Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reveal details of upcoming royal tour to Africa

'The Duke and Duchess are eager to focus their energies on the great work being done in Southern Africa'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have revealed details of their upcoming royal tour to Southern Africa on social media.

In June, it was announced that the duke, duchess and their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, would be embarking on a trip to Southern Africa in autumn for their first official tour as a family.

With the trip now just two weeks away, the royal couple have used their official Instagram account to share what the tour will entail, including several pictures and a caption which details the organisations and individuals they are due to meet as part of their busy itinerary.

The aim of the tour, as stated in the Instagram caption, is to focus on “community, grassroots leadership, women’s and girl’s rights, mental health, HIV/AIDS and the environment”.

The caption outlined that the tour has been “many months in the making”, and that Prince Harry and Meghan are “eager to focus their energies on the great work being done in Southern Africa”.

During the tour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the anti-apartheid and human rights activist.

They are also scheduled to head to Monwabisi Beach to join Waves for Change, an organisation which provides mental health support through surfing.

The caption stated that Prince Harry is “especially proud to continue the legacy left by his mother with her work in Angola as he joins Halo Trust again in an effort to rid the world of landmines”.

The second picture shared by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their latest Instagram post shows the late Diana, Princess of Wales visiting landmine victims on the outskirts of Luanda, Angola in January 1997.

During the royal tour, the Duchess of Sussex will continue to demonstrate her commitment to issues affecting girls and women by meeting with several local organisations in order to “promote women and girls’ health and education, entrepreneurship and leadership”.

Prince Harry is also scheduled to visit Malawi, where he will appraise how the partnership between the British Army and African parks is faring.

In November 2017, it was announced that the British Army had partnered with African parks and the Malawian Department of National Parks and Wildlife in order to combat illegal poaching in the region.

Furthermore, the tour will see the duke introduce an “exciting new initiative”: a Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy three-country partnership forged between Namibia, Botswana and Angola with the objective of protecting forest and wildlife corridors around the Okavango Delta.

The Instagram caption outlined that the partnership was “designed” by Prince Harry, with the royal consulting with the governments of the three countries involved in order to make it a reality.

The post’s caption concluded by highlighting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s roles as president and vice president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, and the duke’s position as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.

“The Duke and Duchess cannot wait to meet with young leaders mobilising change and adding to the beauty of these Commonwealth countries,” the caption stated, including a sign-off from the royal couple which read: “We look forward to seeing you soon!”

Several Instagram users expressed their excitement in the post’s comment section over the upcoming royal tour.

“This is going to be an extraordinary trip! I’m excited for them. And it brings back memories of watching Princess Diana visit Africa,” one person wrote.

“So proud of you guys. Your impact will be extensive on your upcoming tour. Keep pushing for excellence,” another added.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Prince Harry had launched a new sustainable travel initiative.

The initiative, titled “Travalyst”, will call on travel companies including Booking.com, Chinese travel agent Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa to help raise awareness of and encourage sustainable travel practices.

While announcing the campaign in Amsterdam, the duke delivered an impassioned speech in which he said that “no one is perfect” when it comes to looking after the environment.

The Duke of Sussex’s speech came shortly after he and the Duchess of Sussex faced criticism for reportedly flying on private jets four times over an 11-day period during the summer.