The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to make a three day visit to Morocco, touching down on February 23rd for a series of engagements carried out at the request of the UK government. As Harry and Meghan prepare for this latest high profile trip, Royal Central takes a look back at three other important visits between the two countries.
State Visit to Morocco, October 1980
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made a four day State Visit to Morocco almost forty years ago. They were the guests of King Hassan II during their visit which ran from October 27th to 30th 1980 and which saw them visit Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh. Royal writer, Robert Hardman, later reported the visit had been dubbed the ”tour from hell” after so many things went wrong while the Queen was said to be less than impressed by her host’s lateness on more than one occasion.
State Visit from Morocco, July 1987
However, that didn’t stop Elizabeth II welcoming Hassan to London a few years later when the king made a return State Visit. All the pomp and ceremony we’d expect was laid on including a carriage ride down the Mall and a State Banquet. The visit ran from July 14th to 17th 1987.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, April 2011
Charles and Camilla made what was seen as a hugely important visit to Morocco in the spring of 2011, arriving just weeks after King Mohamed VI made a rare TV appearance announcing constitutional reforms at a time when instability was affecting many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. During their three day stay, Prince Charles and Camilla were guests of the Moroccan king in Rabat.
Details of Harry and Meghan’s trip, which they are making at the request of the Foreign Office, will be released over the coming days.
