Prince Edward is picking up the slack after two senior working royals - King Charles and Princess Kate - dropped out of attending official engagements due to illness.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s children, dropped in at the OR Tambo Official Residence in Pretoria where he was welcomed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
According to the Presidency, the duke was on a working visit to South Africa for a few days.
The visit followed the successful state visit that President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook to the United Kingdom in 2022 at the invitation of King Charles III.
During the courtesy call, Mashatile also held discussions with Prince Edward and his delegation on key areas of importance in the bilateral relationship between South Africa and the UK.
Geo.TV reported Edward took the opportunity to visit Pretoria Gardens and was told more about a collaboration between London’s Kew Gardens and the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
The Duke of Edinburgh also had a chance to meet with the recipients of 2023’s President's Award for Youth Empowerment at the British High Commissioner's residence.
While chatting to learners during the event, Edward was quoted by EWN as saying they should share their knowledge and skills acquired from the programme with others.
On the next leg if his trip, the duke visited St Helena Island, home to 192-year-old Jonathan the tortoise.
The Duke of Edinburgh has arrived on St Helena Island and visited 192-year-old Jonathan the tortoise.
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) January 23, 2024
Jonathan has lived on St Helena since the 1880s and has met a number of members of the Royal Family during his 142 years there! pic.twitter.com/yBqxLnEkqE
Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English said, “Jonathan has lived on St Helena since the 1880s and has met a number of members of the Royal Family during his 142 years there!”
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