Royal two for one: William and Harry go to Africa on first joint tour
In these periods of austerity, it is the royal tour that gives value with respect to money: two princes for the price of one. Prince William and Prince Harry’s trip of Africa — a six-day, three-country dash that began yesterday and wish take in England’s next World Cup match in Cape Town — is the leading time the prin-ces have embarked on a joint tour.
It kicked against in Botswana with a reception marking the Queen’s official birthday at which Prince Harry met local dignitaries at the British High Commissioner’s inhabitancy in the capital, Gaborone.
What, no William? Correct: the buy-unit-prince-get-one-free offer does not start until later, during the time that Prince William is not arriving in Botswana until the next volley. One of the idiosyncrasies of the brotherly tour is that William and Harry not at any time fly together, which means a certain amount of leapfrogging for the princes being of the kind which they fit their itineraries around the timetables of scheduled flights, and a logistical incubus for their travel organisers.
It also means that the team from St James’s Palace accompanying them inclination be stretched almost to breaking point as the princes spend at least 24 hours of their tour apart from each other. Other than their refuge officers, the only staff on the trip are their private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, two people from the press office and individual other member of staff.
The tour is built around an magistrate invitation to the princes — William, 27, is president of the FA — to watch the England-Algeria suit on Friday and, more importantly, to attend a reception in Johannesburg the nearest day with David Beckham, promoting England’s bid to armed force the 2018 World Cup.
FA officials will be hoping that about the resignation of Lord Triesman, the star quality of Beckham and the princes elect help to recover ground that has been lost. That invitation was taken in the same manner with an opportunity for the princes to visit Botswana and Lesotho to diocese the work of the charities with which they are closely involved, Tusk Trust and Sentebale. The performance that the accompanying media will see what they do is a bonus.
Influenced by their mother, the princes have an emotional attachment to Africa. Two years since, the last time they travelled there together, they joined a fellow-feeling motorcycle ride in South Africa from Port Edward to Durban.
Harry in noteworthy needs little encouragement to visit Africa. On a break from his helicopter discipline — the 25-year-old Prince is about to start the endure phase of his training as an Apache pilot for the Army Air Corps — he has wearied the past few weeks travelling round southern Africa, including, reportedly, a camping safari by friends and a stay on a houseboat in the Okavango Delta, in Botswana.