Everything We Know About Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s First Royal Tour With Archie
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have kept a relatively low profile since welcoming their son, Archie, in early May. Yes, they did a photo call with Archie shortly after his birth and appeared at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June. Besides that, they’ve been MIA. But they’ll soon be making their grand return to the public eye—as a family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on their Instagram page Thursday, June 27, that they’ll be completing a royal tour of Southern Africa come fall. And get this: They’re bringing baby Archie along with them.
“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 official @SussexRoyal Instagram post reads. “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 ?? on route to the other countries.”
It continues, “The Duke and Duchess are really looking forward to meeting so many of you on the ground and continuing to raise awareness of the high impact work local communities are doing across the commonwealth and beyond. This will be their first official tour as a family!”
See the announcement for yourself, below:
Details about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s upcoming family tour are sparse. Save from this announcement, we don’t know much about what to expect. But we’re compiling all the details as they come so you can stay up to date on the trip. Here’s everything we know so far:
When it’s happening: Fall 2019
Where it’s happening: South Africa, Malawi, and Angola.
Who’s coming: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, their son Archie, and, presumably, those who work on their team.
Why this trip: According to People magazine, Prince Harry plans to work on his Sentebale charity while in Malawi, which works to support people affected by HIV/AIDS.
How it was announced: The British High Commissioner to South Africa, Nigel Casey, broke the news. “They are going to be coming back to visit us in South Africa this autumn,” he said. “That’s great news for us. I predict it’s also good news for the South African economy, because I predict a hat and frock buying frenzy to rival even SONA [the country’s State of the Nation Address, which took place last Thursday], which could well restore economic growth all on its own.”
What Archie’s coming means: According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, Archie will be the youngest baby to go on a royal tour if he jets off to South Africa with his parents. “William traveled first when he was nine months old, and George when he was eight [months old], so the precedents are there, not that a couple as independent as Harry and Meghan need precedents,” Fitzwilliams told Insider.
What Africa means to Prince Harry and Markle: “Africa, Botswana in particular, has always been a very special place to Harry,” a royal expert named Katie Nicholl also told Insider. “He calls it his spiritual home and it’s where he and Meghan fell in love, so I think it’s probably high up on the couple’s wish list.”