This morning, the Duke of Cambridge arrived in Jordan for the first pit stop on a five-day tour of the Middle East.
The 36-year-old’s latest trip will make the history books, as he is the first royal to pay an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on behalf of the UK government.
ترتكز زيارة دوق كامبريدج للأردن على الروابط المتينة بين بلدينا ، وبين العائلات الملكية ، الذين زارا بعضهم البعض عدة مرات على مر السنين pic.twitter.com/RqU0U08yij
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 24, 2018
According to Kensington Palace, the non-political nature of Prince William‘s role will allow “a spotlight to be brought to bear on the people of the region: their cultures, their young people, their aspirations, and their experiences.”
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After disembarking from the plane in Amman this morning, William met with Crown Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdullah II for the first time.
Prince William is greeted by Crown Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdullah II as he arrives in Jordan.
يستقبل صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير الحسين بن عبدالله الثاني صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير ويليام ويرحب به في الأردن pic.twitter.com/D3LgQ9ISgg
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 24, 2018
To kick-start the tour, the royals visited Fablab – an initiative of the Crown Prince Foundation which aims to help young entrepreneurs with the technology they need to fulfil their career goals.
Fablab, a @CPFJO initiative – works to empower young entrepreneurs in Jordan.
The Duke and The Crown Prince met young Jordanians to find out more about their work. pic.twitter.com/1xMizSclGl
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 24, 2018
In the evening, the Duke of Cambridge will meet people from across Jordanian society before having a private dinner with Crown Prince Hussein at the King’s residence of Beit al Urdun.
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On the morning of the 25th June, William will pay a visit to the Roman ruins of Jerash where the Duchess of Cambridge visited as a young child during the Middleton family’s two-year stint in Jordan.
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The archaeological site is set to host a celebration for young people who benefit from the Makani programme which is a charity that works with those from deprived backgrounds and refugee communities.
Jordan is currently home to over 655,000 refugees and charities such as Makani have helped a large majority find work and stability. Speaking to young people affected, the Duke of Edinburgh will learn more about the organisation.
In the evening, William will travel to Israel where he is expected to visit the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre and will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.
According to Kensington Palace, Prince William’s aim for the royal tour is to “meet as many people from as many walks of life as possible – and to use the spotlight that his visit will bring to celebrate their hopes for the future.”
This article originally appeared in Harper’s BAZAAR UK.
