ASNI, Morocco: Britain’s Prince Harry and his pregnant wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, visited a school high up in Morocco’s rugged Atlas Mountains on Sunday.
Harry and Meghan landed in the mountain town of Asni on Sunday morning on a whirlwind official visit to Morocco. They arrived by helicopter from the capital of Rabat and were welcomed by pupils from a school run by a Moroccan foundation that emphasizes education for all.
The school provides education for girls from rural communities whose parents would not typically be able to afford secondary education.
The royal couple, Harry in a light grey suit and Meghan in a red dress, were welcomed with a tray of dates, a traditional ritual of hospitality in Morocco, after they landed in Casablanca on Saturday evening.
The visit at the request of the British government is the second to the country in recent years by a member of the royal family, following a trip by Prince Charles in 2011. Queen Elizabeth visited Morocco in 1980.
As the couple arrived at the boarding house run by Education for All, an NGO that builds dormitories near schools to reduce school drop-out rates among girls aged 12 to 18, girls from the boarding house waved the flags of Morocco and Britain.
“Their Royal Highnesses will see work being done to promote girl’s education, empower young people and support children from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Kensington Palace said.
While in Asni, Harry and Meghan were also set to meet local high school students and teachers and afterwards attend a football game.
On Monday, the Duke and Duchess will attend an equestrian event in the capital Rabat involving horse therapy for children with special needs, followed by a cooking event and a meeting with young social entrepreneurs.
The couple is also expected to meet a member of the Moroccan royal family later in the day at a palace in Rabat.
The brief trip is expected to be Meghan's last international trip before she gives birth to the couple's first child in April.