This is The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first official visit to Morocco.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited Morocco in 1980 – and Her Majesty also welcomed King Hassan of Morocco during a state visit to the UK in 1987.
The Prince of Wales visited Morocco in 1995 and more recently with The Duchess of Cornwall in 2011.
Arriving in Casablanca
Their Royal Highnesses arrived in Casablanca this evening ahead of a three day visit to Morocco. The visit, at the request of Her Majesty's Government, is The Duke and Duchess' first visit to the country.
During their time here, Their Royal Highnesses will see work being done to promote girl’s education, empower young people and support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Asni and The Ambassador's Reception
Their Royal Highnesses travelled to Asni to meet students at the Education for All boarding house in the Atlas Mountains.
The organisation provides weekly accommodation to girls from rural areas, which allows them to remain in education into secondary school – and go on to achieve qualifications, study at university and pursue careers.
After meeting students, The Duke of Sussex presented Michael McHugo, the Founder of Education for All, with his #MBE – during a special investiture on one of the original boarding houses.
McHugo was awarded the honour for services to improving gender quality in education in Morocco in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list.
This evening, Their Royal Highnesses attended a reception at The British Ambassador’s Residence in Rabat. The Duke and Duchess were greeted by the Ambassador's children before receiving a traditional rose water welcome.
Their Royal Highnesses met people from across Moroccan society, including paralympians, ex-servicemen and women and the young entrepreneurs who are shaping Modern Morocco.
Rabat
On the second day of their visit to Morocco, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Royal Equestrian Club in the country’s capital city, Rabat.
Their Royal Highnesses saw the benefits of equine therapy for children with disabilities and young people with mental health challenges.
The Duke and Duchess joined a cooking demonstration with Chef Moha, one of Morocco’s leading chefs, and met children who were practising traditional Moroccan dishes.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also visited Rabat’s beautiful Andalusian Gardens to meet Morocco’s young entrepreneurs.
Their Royal Highnesses found out more about their latest projects and heard about the transformational impact of community-based programmes. Many of the young social entrepreneurs are working to address youth unemployment and supporting vulnerable communities.
In their final engagement, The Duke and Duchess attended an audience with The King of Morocco at Rabat Royal Palace.
