Kensington Palace this week confirmed details of the itinerary of His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge’s upcoming visit to Israel on 25th June.
The three-day trip, will be the first state visit to Israel by a member of the Royal Family in the country’s 70-year history. The Duke will visit Yad Vashem, the world holocaust remembrance centre and meet a survivor of the Holocaust and the Kindertransport, on the morning of 26th June, the day after he arrives in Jerusalem from Jordan.
The Duke will attend a wreath laying ceremony at Yad Vashem’s Hall of Remembrance, accompanied by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Following Yad Vashem, the Duke will meet with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before travelling to Jaffa to attend a football match and the children involved, hosted by two youth organisations dedicated to coexistence- the Equaliser and the Peres Centre for Peace.
He will also receive a demonstration of tech innovation, with a number of Israeli start-up firms.
On Wednesday 27th June, the Duke of Cambridge will travel to Ramallah in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and attend an event focusing on refugees and exploring Palestinian food and culture.
On 28th June, he will visit the Old City of Jerusalem, with details of potential visits to holy sites to be confirmed.
Other planned stops include the Mount of Olives, where the Duke’s great grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, is buried. The Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have both previously made visits here although on private, unofficial trips to Israel.
A number of itinerary events have not yet been announced, with Kensington Palace describing one as “a visit that we are really looking forward to, but will not be announcing in advance”.
The Palace state that the Duke “considers it a great privilege” to be undertaking the first ever official Royal tour of Israel and the Palestinian Territories and is looking forward to meeting young Israelis and Palestinians as well as “learning about their unique perspectives, but also their shared ambitions and hopes for the future”.
Click here to read Kensington Palace’s announcement in full.
