Duchess Sophie Begins Major Royal Tour With Packed Week Ahead — From Gender Equality To A Visit To One Of The World’s Natural Wonders
The Duchess of Edinburgh has embarked on a particularly busy royal tour, with a packed schedule taking her across Zambia for a series of engagements close to her heart.
Sophie will visit the Republic of Zambia from Monday, September 14, to Friday, September 19, in a trip aimed at celebrating the longstanding relationship between Zambia and the UK.
The visit has been undertaken at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with the duchess due to carry out engagements in Lusaka, Lower Zambezi and Livingstone.
Her schedule will focus on several issues she has championed during her royal work, including gender equality, climate and nature, and education and research partnerships.
Sophie’s Packed Schedule In Zambia
During the visit, Sophie will travel to Community House, where she is due to meet President Hichilema.
In Livingstone, she will visit Mosi-oa-Tunya, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, where she will lay a posy at the WWI memorial.
The duchess will also undertake engagements connected to her role as Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Her programme includes visits involving the charities Orbis and Sightsavers, with one engagement taking her to a health clinic in Mukuni Village.
The clinic is involved in a successful programme aimed at eliminating trachoma, a cause closely linked to Sophie’s work on avoidable blindness.
Duchess Sophie’s Previous Visit To Zambia
The upcoming tour will not be Sophie’s first visit to the country.
The Duchess of Edinburgh previously travelled to Zambia in 2014, when she was joined by Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The group attended an event during the visit, with photographs showing Sophie and Zara appearing relaxed as they mingled with fellow guests.
More than a decade later, Sophie is returning to Zambia with another packed programme of royal engagements — this time placing particular emphasis on equality, environmental protection, education and the fight against avoidable blindness.
