The Duke of Cambridge wrapped up his private working visit to three African countries yesterday and is, presumably, on his way back to the UK, if he hasn’t arrived already. If you missed the coverage on the first few days of his trip, you can catch up on them here. With that, let’s quickly cover off on his time in Tanzania and Kenya.
In his capacity as patron of Tusk, William visited the Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania to learn more about on-the-ground conservation efforts. Kensington Palace tweeted out some great photos of William at the park and interacting with wildlife:
🦏 Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary is working to establish a viable breeding population of 50 black rhino, whose offspring will be used to reinforce existing populations in Tanzania. pic.twitter.com/YmGVhHTmJg
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 29, 2018
While at the rhino sanctuary, he also saw efforts to build a new security fence and even took a turn driving the construction equipment. From there, he was off to Rafiki Wa Faru, an educational initiative for the children of 14 local villages to learn about wildlife and the importance of conservation and anti-poaching efforts. He then met with representatives of the College of African Wildlife Management and learned more about their efforts, including tracking technology.
Finally, William spent his last day in Kenya where the headliner engagement was a visit to the Irish Guards. That name may ring a bell as he and the Duchess of Cambridge usually carry out an engagement with them every St Patrick’s Day, this past March being no exception. This time, his efforts took him to the Guards’ 1st Battalion at the British Army Training Unit Kenya in Laikipia where he also met with Kenyan defense forces.
Lovely photos were formally captured of William interacting with young people on site, where it looks like he took part in a pick up game of football and handed out gifts.
All of this comes ahead of an upcoming wildlife and conservation conference in the UK next Thursday, October 11. Depending on what coverage comes out of it, I may post about it here. Otherwise, we are in for a top-heavy week in royal world: Kate returns from maternity leave tomorrow, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make their first trek to Sussex on Wednesday.
And all of this is in the lead up to yet another royal wedding, as Princess Eugenie will marry Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on Friday, October 12. There, we can expect to see the entire Royal Family gather for the first time since Trooping the Colour in June, while Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to be on hand as a page boy and bridesmaid, respectively.