It’s official—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are heading to Africa in the fall, and with a special guest in tow. There have been rumors of a Sussex royal tour since the spring, and now the Palace has confirmed the news.
In classic Sussex fashion, an Instagram (META) post is involved—the Sussex Royal account shared a photo announcing Prince Harry and Meghan will be embarking on a tour of South Africa together this fall, and the caption notes this will be the “first official tour as a family!” We’re hoping that means Archie is joining for that portion of the trip—he’ll be just around six months old, taking a cue from Prince George when he went long on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Australia tour.
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While it appears Meghan is accompanying Prince Harry in South Africa, the Duke of Sussex is also embarking on a lengthier trip to other countries solo. The account notes that Prince Harry will be visiting Malawi and Angola, which is a particularly important place for Prince Harry due to his late mother, Princess Diana, and her work in the country.
He’ll also “do a short working trip to Botswana” while on the way to other countries, though perhaps Meghan will join him there. After all, their first getaway as a couple (which also happened to be their third date, because apparently dinner and a movie isn’t a royal thing) was to Botswana, and it’s also where some of the diamonds in Meghan’s (newly upgraded) engagement ring were sourced from.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the news in a more traditional capacity, also known as a press release. The trip was technically leaked a little earlier this week, when Nigel Casey, the British High Commissioner to South Africa, announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be “coming back to visit us in South Africa this autumn.”
Prince Harry and Meghan’s last royal tour (the Duchess’ first) was to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, just as Meghan announced her pregnancy. It was recently revealed the duo’s trip cost over $100,000.
The upcoming tour will likely last around two weeks, and will begin just as Meghan is ending her maternity leave. She and Archie won’t be attending the entire tour, which could be due to safety concerns, so they’ll probably be back at Frogmore Cottage. You’ll see the Duchess of Sussex soon enough, though—she’s reportedly attending Wimbledon to support her pal Serena Williams.
