The Duchess of Edinburgh has begun a nine-day visit to South and Central America, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. During the solo trip, Sophie, 60, is expected to visit Peru, Panama and Guatemala at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office from Monday 10 November to Wednesday 19 November. She will also visit Belize, as part of the royal family's engagement with the Realms.
In Peru, the Duchess will visit the Amazon rainforest where she will meet Indigenous leaders, including women who are sustaining their communities through environmental and economic activities. As Global Ambassador for The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Sophie will visit Divino Niño vision centre, to hear about the clinic's services in treating glaucoma and pterygium.
The royal mother-of-two took up the ambassador role following her personal experience with her daughter Lady Louise Windsor's rare eye condition. Lady Louise, now 22, was born with a rare eye condition called esotropia, which caused one eye to turn inwards. She underwent two surgical procedures to correct her sight as a child.
In Panama, the Duchess will visit Panama and meet senior members of the Government, recognising its collaboration with the UK on global challenges, including conflict-related sexual violence. And in Guatemala, she will witness civil society's support for survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence and visit a charity supporting vulnerable young people.
The Duchess is a champion of the UN's Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) and a supporter of the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). She has long been an advocate for preventing sexual violence in areas of conflict and through her work, she has previously visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Lebanon, South Sudan and Sierre Leone.
At the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, Sophie will observe conservation efforts led by Indigenous groups. Concluding her trip in Belize, she will attend the national holiday of Garifuna Settlement Day, learn about Belizean efforts to protect natural environments, in particular marine systems, and visit the British Army Training Support Unit Belize, to see the overseas jungle training.
Last public appearance
The trip will be a royal first for the Duchess as it marks her first official visits to Belize, Guatemala, Panama and Peru. Sophie was last seen publicly at the Remembrance Sunday service in London, with the Duchess appearing teary-eyed as her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, placed a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in conflict. Prince Edward then took the salute for the veterans at Horse Guards Parade during the march past.