His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Gloucester will arrive in Malawi on 12th March – Commonwealth Day – to shine a spotlight on the progress the UK and Malawi are making together in fighting local and global challenges.

His Royal Highness will meet several key government Ministers and officials, including His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi, Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika.

He will start his visit by celebrating a “Commonwealth Big Lunch” with stakeholders in the education sector and 100 schoolgirls who are beneficiaries of the UK’s investments in girls’ education. In parallel, a Big Lunch will be held in Edinburgh with the Secretary of State for Scotland to celebrate the vast connections between the UK and Malawi.

To appreciate how the UK and Malawi are working together to address chronic climate vulnerability faced by rural people in Malawi, His Royal Highness will travel to Kasungu to see a UK Aid-funded project that supports climate change-affected communities to recover their agricultural systems. Also in Kasungu, he will unveil Malawi’s dedication to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy – Chimaliro Forest.

His Royal Highness will travel to Liwonde National Park to see the significant achievements that Malawi has made with UK support in its fight against illegal wildlife trading. As patron of the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust he will join their 10 year anniversary celebrations.

The visit will contribute to the build up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that will take place in London in April this year, and the London 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference that will take place in October, where Malawi is expected to have a central role at both events – showcasing achievements and driving ambition for future change.