Buckingham Palace has announced that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will be heading abroad next month – to two separate countries. In order to mark the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence from Australia, Prince Edward will visit Papua New Guinea on behalf of King Charles from from Sunday, September 14, to Wednesday, September 17.
The Prince will then be joined by his wife, the Duchess of Edinburgh for a key visit to Japan. They will arrive in the country on Thursday, September 18 and remain there until Monday, September 22, to celebrate the good relationship between the UK and Japan.
While in the country, the couple’s engagements will focus on topics such as youth opportunity, sustainability and innovation, educating the next generation, and women in leadership.
MORE FOLLOWS…
While in Papua New Guinea, Prince Edward will attend a dawn flag-raising ceremony and a State Dinner, to mark the occasion. Then, on behalf of the King, he will present new Regimental Colours to the First Royal Pacific Islands Regiment and also hand out the 50th Independence Anniversary King’s Medals which are given to those who have made significant contributions to the country.
Towards the end of the trip, Prince Edward will also visit the new National Court Complex and meet communities in Port Moresby.
This visit will mark the first time the Duke has travelled to Papua New Guinea, with the last royal tour there being carried out by Princess Anne in 2022.
When the Duke leaves Papua New Guinea and travels to Japan, he will be joined by the Duchess. While this will be Sophie’s first visit, this will mark the fourth time Prince Edward has travelled to Japan as he previously carried out visits in 1996, 1998 and 2004.
While there, the couple will visiti Osaka and Tokyo, The Duke and Duchess will undertake engagements on subjects will matter to the UK and Japan, including women in leadership, sustainability and youth opportunity.
Elsewhere, the pair will attend EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Kansai. It will be Japan’s largest international event this decade, the aim of which is to bring people and innovations together to address global issues.