PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle will make no changes to their planned visits to Fiji and Tonga.
A statement released by the Kensington Palace said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have sought medical advice about the risk of zika virus on the islands.
The Duke and Duchess are in Australia.
They will travel by a chartered flight to Suva (Nausori International Airport) where they will embark on a three-day program starting on October 23.
October 23
· Upon their arrival, the Royal Highnesses will be greeted by a Guard of Honour at the airport, before calling on the President at Borron House in Suva;
· The Duke and Duchess will then attend an official welcome ceremony in the Albert Park – known as the veirqaraqaravi vakavanua;
· The ceremony will mirror the format that of the one attended by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in 1953;
· The public event will involve a number of traditional elements of Fijian culture, including dance performances, the presentation of the tabua, and a kava ceremony;
· From there, The Duke and Duchess will leave Albert Park for the Grand Pacific Hotel to attend a reception and a State dinner hosted by the President, at which The Duke will speak.
October 24
· His Royal Highness will lay a wreath at the War Memorial, and meet a number of Fijian war veterans, some of whom served with the British Armed Forces;
· Their Royal Highnesses will then visit the University of the South Pacific campus in Suva, where they will observe a cultural performance on the effects of climate change, before meeting students studying subjects from agriculture to women’s development;
· The Duke will make a short speech in his capacity as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador and The Duchess will say a few words;
· From here, Their Royal Highnesses’ program will split – The Duke will travel to Colo-i-Suva Forest Park, and The Duchess to the British High Commissioner’s Residence.
· At Colo-i-Suva, Prince Harry will plant a tree and unveil a plaque to mark its dedication. He will also meet with school children, student conservators, representatives from sustainable tourism industries, and local landowners and villagers to see how the rainforest impacts upon their education and livelihoods;
· The Duchess will attend a morning tea at the British High Commissioner’s residence to showcase women’s organisations which operate throughout Fiji;
· The Duchess will then travel to the Suva Market to meet some of the female vendors who have become empowered through the UN Market Project for women.
October 25
· The Duke and Duchess will travel to Nadi where they will attend a special event at Nadi International Airport;
· After an official welcome ceremony, The Duke and Duchess will unveil a new statue commemorating Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba, a British-Fijian soldier who lost his life in the 1972 Battle of Mirbat.
. From Nadi International Airport, Their Royal Highnesses will take a chartered flight to Tonga.
