Tonga visit on the cards for Royal newly weds [1]
Monday, May 21, 2018 - 19:42
Newly-weds, His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex are planning to visit Commonwealth member countries, including Tonga, in October this year. According to British media reports, they plan to start their visit in Australia, followed by New Zealand, and then, possibly including Fiji and Tonga.
The couple, (Prince Harry and Megan Markle) now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have made it known they will put their honeymoon on hold announcing they plan to return to work after their nuptials.
The couple’s spokesman said “They are already planning for all the work that's happening in the second half of the year, which is going to be incredibly busy."
They plan to start their visit in Australia, where Prince Harry will open the Invictus Games in Sydney for injured servicemen and women in October, followed by a visit to New Zealand, with Fiji and Tonga on the cards.
However, the couple are planning to start a family, and that could be a major barrier to the tour, particularly to Fiji and Tonga where Zika is an issue especially for pregnant women.
Earlier this year, at the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth meeting, the Prince's father, Prince Charles told Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, that he hopes to also visit Tonga in the near future. Prince Charles has been nominated as the next head of the Commonwealth.
Other members of the Royal family have already been to Tonga. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip called on Queen Salote Tupou III in Tonga in 1953 as part of their first Commonwealth tour, and visited again in 1957. Then in November 1998, HRH Prince Andrew visited Tonga, and in 2010, the Princess Royal, HRH Princess Anne, stayed in Tonga to attend a four-day Emerging Pacific Leaders Dialogue.