Prince Charles, Camilla to visit Portugal, Spain, Morocco

Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit Portugal, Spain and Morocco from March 28, just over a month before his son Prince William marries Kate Middleton, his office said Monday.

The 10-day tour focused on commercial and military links between Britain and the three countries will begin in Lisbon, where the royal couple will celebrate the long-standing cooperation between the British and Portuguese navies.

In Spain, Charles and Camilla, known as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, will attend an official dinner at the royal palace in Madrid and have lunch with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Charles, the heir to the British throne, will also meet Prince Felipe, the Spanish heir, and his wife Princess Letizia, and visit the city of Seville.

The final stop on the royal tour will be Morocco, which has seen limited protests in recent days despite a pledge by King Mohammed VI to usher in democratic reforms.

The prince and his wife will be the guests of the king in Rabat before Charles moves on to an oasis at Errachidia to see efforts to minimise the impact of desertification.

The couple will also undertake cultural and inter-faith engagements in the city of Fez.

In August 1987, Charles and his then wife Princess Diana spent a family holiday as guests of the Spanish royals at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, where tensions between the couple were reportedly evident.

He attended the funeral for Don Juan, the father of Juan Carlos, in April 1993 and was a guest at the May 2004 wedding of Felipe and Letizia in Madrid.

Charles and Diana’s eldest son William will marry at London’s Westminster Abbey on April 29.