Archie confirmed to attend 10-day Africa tour with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
![The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's South Africa tour dates have been confirmed [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/lL_v7_ovqSR89CB9YhCegw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-09/1b173000-d0a0-11e9-b8db-421f9bb7b247)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will bring four-month-old son Archie on their debut tour of South Africa, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The family-of-three will kick-start the 10-day trip in Cape Town on September 23 with plans to conclude in Johannesburg on October 2.
During the tour, Prince Harry will also embark upon solo trips to Botswana, Malawi and Angola at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
This will give the Duke of Sussex a chance to walk in his mother Princess Diana’s footsteps, as she famously visited Huambo, Angola in 1997 to help raise awareness of the threat posed by landmines.
![Princess Diana famously visited a landmine in Huambo, Angola in 1997 [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YPvxicmrbBgG3mFHajOmaw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYyMw--/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-09/45e302b0-d0a4-11e9-b5be-5eca319371a0)
As President of African Parks and Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana, the new father will also use the trip to highlight vital conservation work being carried out to protect wildlife and promote sustainable tourism.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex will also have a key role on the tour, as she is “looking forward to the opportunity to learn from inspirational women in the region” according to Buckingham Palace.
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As patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the 38-year-old will meet female entrepreneurs, academics and community leaders during the 10-day stint.
The trip will mark the first royal tour for the family-of-three and the couple reportedly “hope to include” four-month-old Archie at some point on the trip.
A full programme of engagements for the Sussexes, including a couple private engagements for Meghan in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Archie will be based with the Duchess in South Africa and palace sources confirm that the couple “hope to include him” at some point.
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) September 6, 2019
Last week, Prince Harry expressed his excitement at the forthcoming tour via social media - revealing to fans that he “can’t wait” to introduce his son and wife to South Africa.
Teasing details of the family-of-three's debut tour on the couple’s official Instagram page, the 34-year-old lovingly referred to the nation as his "second home".
“In just a few weeks our family will be taking its first official tour to Africa, a region of the world that over the past two decades has been a second home to me," he wrote.
"Our team has helped create a meaningful programme that we’re so excited to share with you. On a personal note, I can’t wait to introduce my wife and son to South Africa! We’ll see all of you very soon."
South Africa holds a special place in Prince Harry’s heart, as the royal has made frequent visits to the continent after taking a gap year in Lesotho back in 2004.
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In 2006, he founded Sentebale - a children's charity designed to help support the mental health and wellbeing of children affected by HIV.
Harry also famously took Meghan on a third date to Botswana.
"We camped out with each other under the stars," he said during the couple's first joint interview with the BBC. "She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other."
