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The Duke of Cambridge will travel with wife Kate to Africa, a continent that holds a special place in his heart after he went there in the immediate aftermath of Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
The couple will travel to Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya, a location he went with his brother Prince Harry and father Prince Charles, and a continent that paved the way for the brothers to come to terms with the death of their mother.
Both Prince William, 36, and Harry, 33, have spoken in the past about their adoration for Africa.
The Duke of Sussex said: “I first came in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags — we were going to Africa to get away from it all. My brother and I were brought up outdoors.
“We appreciate nature and everything about it. But it became more… This is where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world.
“I wish I could spend more time in Africa.”
He added: “I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here. To not get recognised, to lose myself in the bush with what I would call the most down-to-earth people on the planet, people with no ulterior motives, no agendas, who would sacrifice everything for the betterment of nature. I talk to them about their jobs, about what they do. And I learn so much.”
The place is also significant for Prince William due to it being the location he proposed to the Duchess of Cambridge.
He is said to have proposed to Kate during a safari trip near the foothills of Mount Kenya.
The trip comes as part of Prince William’s dedication to his role as patron of the Royal African Society and will focus on his bid to “help end the terrible, global crime” of poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.
He said: “Africa’s wildlife is suffering as well as its people.
“Like so many others, I am deeply saddened by the numbers of elephant, rhino and pangolin who have been illegally slaughtered for their tusks, horns and scales. But the illegal wildlife trade also has a devastating human impact.
“Too many brave rangers are tragically killed each year by poachers. Communities see their tourist livelihoods threatened. And the proceeds of the illegal wildlife trade fund broader criminal networks and threaten security.”
He aded: “This is why I am committed to doing what I can to help end this terrible, global crime. This will be a particular focus of my upcoming visit to Africa, and of course the conference on the illegal wildlife trade taking place here in London in October.”
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