Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry make their mark on Morocco

Children wait for the visit of Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex at the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat, Morocco February 25, 2019. Facundo Arrizabalaga/Pool via REUTERS - RC187A96C090
Children wait for the visit of Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex at the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat, Morocco February 25, 2019. Facundo Arrizabalaga/Pool via REUTERS - RC187A96C090

Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry’s whirlwind tour of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Kensington Palace announced earlier this month that Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry would travel to North Africa for a royal visit. And, on Sunday they touched down in Morocco for their final royal visit before baby Sussex is born.

As previously reported, the tour would be made up of a series of visits centered around issues close to their hearts: women’s empowerment, girls’ education, inclusivity and encouragement of social entrepreneurship.

On the final day of their three-day visit to Morocco the royal couple were hosted by King Mohammed VI in a royal palace, and were greeted at the residence by 15-year-old Crown Prince Moulay Hassan. They were offered dates and milk with orange blossom upon their arrival, a tradition often witnessed at Moroccan weddings, CNN reports.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex arrive at the residence of Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco February 25, 2019. Photo Credit: Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS

All eyes were on the heavily pregnant Duchess as she showed off her growing baby bump in a patterned blue maxidress by Carolina Herrera.

The Duke and Duchess Sussex meet with Moroccan King Mohammed VI at his residence in Rabat. Photo Credit: Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS
Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex receives flowers during her visit to the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat. Photo Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/Pool via REUTERS 

Earlier in the day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited at the Royal Moroccan Equestrian Club Dar Essalam to learn more about the country’s programme of supporting children with disabilities through equine therapy.

The royal couple visit the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equitation Sports in Rabat. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/Pool
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a cooking demonstration, where children from under-privileged backgrounds learn traditional Moroccan recipes, at the Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat. Photo Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Pool via REUTERS

Duchess Meghan and husband Harry, also attended a cooking demonstration with chef Moha Fedal, host of Morocco’s version of Masterchef. The couple sampled a variety of traditional Moroccan meals, including pastilla, a sweet and savory meat pie that is usually cooked with pigeon, according to US Weekly.

Sampling traditional delights. Photo Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Pool via REUTERS

A running theme of the trip has been women’s empowerment, with the pair visiting a boarding school for girls in the Atlas Mountains. Britain’s ambassador to Morocco, Thomas Reilly, described the visit as “hugely exciting”.

The Duchess arrives for a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco at the British Embassy in Rabat, Morocco February 24. Photo Credit: Arthur Edwards/Pool via REUTERS

The Duchess of Sussex speaks to young girls as she visits a boarding house for girls run by the Moroccan NGO ‘Education for All’ in Asni. Photo Credit:  Tim P. Whitby/Pool via REUTERSOn their first morning in the country, the couple visited with young women at Education for All, a national organisation that builds and runs boarding houses for girls from ages 12 through 18.

Meghan Duchess of Sussex also took part in a traditional henna ceremony. Photo Credit: REUTERS

At the boarding house, the Duchess got a henna tattoo on her left hand and wrist. “It’s for when we have a big party. Now she is pregnant we do the henna to keep her happy with the baby,” Khadeja Oukattou, an EFA housemother, told People of the design. “For good luck.”

She added that the girls were very excited about Markle’s pregnancy. “They wished them a good life and good health for them and the baby.”

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