Prince William is returning to the country where he proposed to Kate Middleton.
This time however, the British Royal will be travelling on a different agenda. A three country tour of Africa will see him make stop overs at Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya.
The trip will see the Duke of Cambridge seek to scale the fight against poaching in order to save endangered wildlife species, according to reports in British newspapers.
In his first speech as patron of the Royal African Society (RAS) on September 12, Prince William announced his intended tour of Africa that will take place later in the month.
Official dates for the visit have not been confirmed, and British tabloids are still speculating whether the Duchess of Cambridge will accompany her husband on the tour.
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The Prince, who is second in line to the British throne, said he was devastated at the effects poaching was having on wildlife.
“I am deeply saddened by the numbers of elephant, rhino and pangolin who have been illegally slaughtered for their tusks, horns and scales,” he said.
Prince William added that the illegal wildlife trade also had 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.”
Love for Africa
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge has been traveling back and forth to Africa since his childhood, first falling in love with the continent alongside his mother, Princess Diana.
“I first fell in love with Africa when I spent time in Kenya, Botswana and Tanzania as a teenager. I was captivated and have been hankering to get back as often as possible ever since.”
Prince William
In February of this year, the Daily Mail reported that in 1997 after the death of their mother Princess Diana, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry travelled to Africa on orders from their father Prince Charles so as to “get away from it all.”
This established a love for the continent which became a precious santuary for the two princes. Additionally, the two British royals began engaging in wildlife conservancy on the continent.
“You can’t exaggerate their importance in Africa’s conservation wars,” Charlie Mayhew, chief executive of Tusk Trust told the Daily Mail.
Prince William’s trips to Kenya have seen him frequent the Lewa Conservancy on many occasions, including some time spent their during his gap year in university. The Duke of Cambridge has such a strong relationship with the Conservancy that even includes close ties with the family of the wildlife sanctuary’s landowner Ian Craig.
It was while on one of his trips to Kenya, in October 2010, that Prince William told the future Duchess of Cambridge that he wanted to marry her.
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