The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are planning to visit communities in Australia which has been affected by recent catastrophic bushfires that have ripped through the country since early October.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Tuesday that talks between the Australian government and Kensington Palace have been underway ‘for weeks’.
Embed from Getty ImagesAn official invitation from Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to be issued this week.
It is hoped that a visit by the royal couple will shine the international spotlight onto recovery efforts, bolstering financial support for survivors and volunteers.
William and Catherine were said to have volunteered to head to Australia quite early in the crisis but did not want their presence to overshadow the recovery process.
It is expected they will visit bushfire-ravaged areas in New South Wales and Victoria.
It is not yet known whether their children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, will join them on the tour.
The couple issued several statements of support to Australia while the crisis was ongoing.
In November, they took to Twitter to share essential information regarding the fires.
In early January, they shared another message of support offering condescendence to people who lost loved ones and praising firefighters.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event. We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia,’ they wrote.
‘We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.’
On Australia Day, they shared an image with themselves and a koala from a previous tour.
‘Wishing all of our Australian followers a happy Australia Day,’ they captioned the post.
‘This year we pay tribute to the incredible strength and resilience of all the Australian people and communities who have been impacted by the devastating bushfires.’
It would be the fifth tour for William to Australia and the second for Catherine since they visited together in 2014.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn their previous joint tour, the couple visited the Blue Mountains where they met with residents of Winmalee, which had been devastated by bushfires in October 2013.
In 2011, Prince William visited flood-affected communities in Queensland and Victoria on behalf of the Royal Family.
The devastating bushfires season in Australia has killed 33 people, destroyed more than 2000 homes and wiped out over a billion animals.
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