With just weeks to go until the Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertake their first overseas tour as a married couple, more details have been released about just what Harry and Meghan will get up to as they spend just over a fortnight visiting Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. They are really packing their agenda out, so Royal Central is breaking it down into chunks, and it’s time to look at the Fiji and Tonga diaries. The couple will spend three days there with the Duchess attending her first overseas solo engagement there, too. Take a deep breath; this is going to keep you busy.
Fiji, Day One, October 23rd 2018
You can’t have a royal tour without a Guard of Honour somewhere along the line, and that’s just what will be waiting for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they arrive in Fiji. They then head off to meet the country’s president before an official welcome ceremony at Albert Park, similar to the that enjoyed by The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their visit in 1953. And steady your ships, there is then a State Dinner which might just mean a tiara. For Meghan, obviously.
Fiji Day Two, October 24th 2018
The Duke of Sussex takes on the solemn duty of laying a wreath at Fiji’s National Monument on the morning of October 24th before meeting military veterans. He and the Duchess of Sussex then head to the University of the South Pacific to meet students.
From there, Harry is off to Colo-i-Suva National Park to dedicate part of it to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. Meghan carries out her first solo overseas engagement with an event showcasing women’s organisations, including ‘Markets For Change’, a UN project to promote women’s empowerment throughout the Pacific region. Meghan will also get the chance to meet some of those who have been supported by the programme on a visit to Suva market.
Fiji Day Three and Tonga Day One, October 25th 2018
Harry and Meghan’s time in Fiji ends at Nadi in the west of the country where they will unveil a statue to Sergeant Talaisi Labalaba, a British Fijian soldier killed fighting in the Battle of Mirbat in 1972.
Then it’s time to head to Tonga where Princess Angelika Latufuipeka will welcome them to her country. In the evening, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be at Consular House for a private meeting with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u before attending an official reception and dinner.
Tonga Day Two, October 26th 2018
There are meetings with Tonga’s Prime Minister and Cabinet to start the day before Harry and Meghan tour an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts and products. Then they are heading back to class with a visit to the oldest secondary school in the Pacific, Tupou College, which has been going since 1866. Two of the reserves at the school’s on-site forest will become part of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy during the tour. The King of Tonga will then offer them an official farewell at the Royal Palace.
Harry and Meghan then head back to Australia for several days – catch up on their itinerary there with the special page on Royal Central.
