Harry and Meghan: Tour of Southern Africa - September 23-October 2, 2019


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That's so exciting! Interesting destination choices, and I'll be looking forward to seeing who they meet with, and which endeavors they choose to highlight. It will also be interesting to see if they choose to bring Archie along, considering some of the vaccinations that are routine for those areas.
 
I am surprised Meghan will go so soon on tour after giving birth. I assume Archie will be too young to be taken with his parents on tour.
 
So is this the new version of the African story? There has been so many that I can't keep up anymore. Personally I will wait for more confirmation because they have changed this too many times for me to take it seriously anymore.

That said, if true, it seems like an interesting tour. I don't see why Archie couldn't travel. He would likely be around 6 months old which is not uncommon for royal tots.

Unrelated but similar note -- Chris Ship says the Cambridges have a tour planned as well. So that will be something to watch for. Curious where they will head and will all 5 go? No doubt Charles and Camilla will have one too. Seems like a busy autumn for the royals.
 
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I think six months is too young for an infant to be taken on a Royal tour.:ermm:
 
So is this the new version of the African story? There has been so many that I can't keep up anymore. Personally I will wait for more confirmation because they have changed this too many times for me to take it seriously anymore.

That said, if true, it seems like an interesting tour. I don't see why Archie couldn't travel. He would likely be around 6 months old which is not uncommon for royal tots.

Unrelated but similar note -- Chris Ship says the Cambridges have a tour planned as well. So that will be something to watch for. Curious where they will head and will all 5 go? No doubt Charles and Camilla will have one too. Seems like a busy autumn for the royals.

I wouldn’t advise them to take a six-month baby on a busy tour of Southern Africa.
 
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This doesn't sound true. I'll wait for official Palace announcement.

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I wouldn’t advise them to take a six-month baby with them on a busy tour of Southern Africa.

I'm sure they'll take advice, but I agree that there are risks to taking a baby that is too young to be vaccinated against yellow fever, among other things, someplace where it's endemic. It will be interesting to see what they end up choosing to do.
 
Well I don't see them leaving their son back home for likely 2 weeks either. How old was George when he went to Australia? Not that I think Archie will be "on tour" but more so just with them but staying back with nanny. And as this story has been all over the place, I will wait for actual confirmations.
 
I cant imagine them leaving Archie behind at his age….
 
Well I don't see them leaving their son back home for likely 2 weeks either. How old was George when he went to Australia? Not that I think Archie will be "on tour" but more so just with them but staying back with nanny. And as this story has been all over the place, I will wait for actual confirmations.
I think George was 9 months old.


This is an interesting tour. But, on one hand, it's unlikely they'll take a 6 month old baby to Southern Africa. Yet, it's also unlikely they'll leave their baby behind for two whole weeks. I wonder what they'll decide to do.
 
I don't think it's a question of IF they will bring Archie, but HOW.

Is there a chance this tour wouldn't start until November even though it says Fall? By then, he'd be six months old and there are some vaccines they can give him even if it's usually not given until later. Like Yellow Fever. I'm sure they'll take proper precaution and seek medical advice. November is also not mosquito season in southern Africa, which helps.

Based on a quick study of CDC's Yellow Fever map, the only country on the list is Angola. They can very well take him to SA and Malawi, but leave him behind for a day or two with a nanny or even Meghan staying behind with him for Angola.

BTW, who is the youngest royal baby to go on a tour?

And yay new tour!
 
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Poor Archie - first he had to deal with Zika virus "threat" before he was born. And now, if true, he will have to deal with tropical diseases vaccinations before he is even six-months old. What next?
 
While it might a bit risky to travel with an infant to the rural areas in these countries, I don't think there would be a big problem with taking him along and leaving him with a nanny in Cape Town or another big city.
 
While it might a bit risky to travel with an infant to the rural areas in these countries, I don't think there would be a big problem with taking him along and leaving him with a nanny in Cape Town or another big city.

Agreed. Babies on tour are usually cared for by nanny when their parents are working with the exception for an engagement here and there if it involves other babies. But bringing them along does allow them time with their parents after engagements. They'll likely do what they did on the Oceanic tour, which is have a base for an area and go back there every night. Then move for another area.
 
The CDC does not recommend yellow fever vaccines for 6 month old babies, and even between 6-8 months they are to be used with caution. The NHS may have a different take on it, but yellow fever vaccines have some serious potential side effects, and I think the other recommended vaccines (typhoid, etc) have similar issues for a child that young. As I said, it'll be interesting.
 
The CDC does not recommend yellow fever vaccines for 6 month old babies, and even between 6-8 months they are to be used with caution. The NHS may have a different take on it, but yellow fever vaccines have some serious potential side effects, and I think the other recommended vaccines (typhoid, etc) have similar issues for a child that young. As I said, it'll be interesting.

That's why I asked if the November timing is likely even if it's a Fall tour. CDC says it should not be given to babies younger than 6 months. At 6 months, they can be given if they are traveling to areas with Yellow Fever. And SA and Malawi aren't listed for Yellow Fever. It's only Angola. But if he's not going there, he wouldn't even need Yellow Fever vaccine.
 
I’ve got family that lives in another part of Africa that has widespread mosquito-borne illnesses. They have an infant. The advice they got from doctors both in-country and in the US was that the baby should be ok if kept inside as much as possible and certain precautions taken while outside. I would think Archie could be safely ushered into the place where they’re staying and left there with the nanny during the day.
 
There is no doubt if Archie goes he will be left with the nanny in the hotel. He will be six months at oldest. He will not be brought around to events like George was in Australia.

I am surprised they are going on such a trip when Archie is so young though.

It will be great to see. Interesting mix of countries. I am happy to see Harry visiting Angola after his mother.

Nanny Maria was first seen around when they went to Australia (Nanny Webb before her). I suspect they have a baby nurse right now. Kate didn't but she also had her mom around to help those first months. Someone was with Archie when they were at Trooping. But they will need a proper nanny for this trip if he does go.

Be a chance weighing pros and cons: leaving Archie so young or the risk of taking him when certain shots are a concern that young.
 
Since ITV is running this news as the original poster already linked above, there must be some truth leaking out about H&M's Africa tour plans, but likely nothing has been set in stone quite yet:

https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-11/harry-and-meghan-to-travel-to-malawi-and-angola-later-this-year/

I don't doubt that they are planning a tour to Africa in the fall. It was already reported awhile ago, but without specific details. It looks like the Sussexes are in the process of firming up the details with their support staff.
 
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Whilst I can imagine the Sussexes visiting Africa at some point, I highly doubt they will undertake any major tour whilst Archie is still a baby. Perhaps this is a visit scheduled for next autumn and the media misreported? Still no confirmation from the Palace so I'm just going to wait and see.
 
:previous: Yes, it's very interesting that there has not been any confirmation. I got all excited, because I love royal tours, but I guess we're in wait and see mode.
 
Omid is has even posted about it and he is usually very cautious about these things.

It makes sense really...they both love Africa and we know Harry for sure has ties thru various charities..IIRC so does Meghan.

I am thinking it will be hard for them to leave Archie if we are talking 2 or 3 weeks. If it was just a week I'd lean more toward he's not going...but 2 or 3 weeks..I wonder if they will do like C&D did with William in Oz..keeping him at a specific location and then popping in and out to see him.


LaRae
 
Omid is has even posted about it and he is usually very cautious about these things.

It makes sense really...they both love Africa and we know Harry for sure has ties thru various charities..IIRC so does Meghan.

I am thinking it will be hard for them to leave Archie if we are talking 2 or 3 weeks. If it was just a week I'd lean more toward he's not going...but 2 or 3 weeks..I wonder if they will do like C&D did with William in Oz..keeping him at a specific location and then popping in and out to see him.


LaRae

Yes, Meghan worked with World Vision on their clean water project in Africa. She made a trip to Rwanda for the program.

Harry and Meghan have been to Botswana twice together. One trip including Meghan visiting one of Harry's wildlife projects. And I believe she has visited Sentebale there as well.

Meghan was involved in issues like women's menstral health as well as education and empowerment of women in poverty stricken countries. We saw the education focus in Morocco. I could see them being able to find a way for her to touch on them when they were in Africa. Between Sentebale and the Commonwealth universities which Meghan is a patron of, there are many possibilities.

Harry of course is Patron of African parks as well as Sentebale of course.


If they do bring Archie, the leave him one place and visit makes sense.

Again if this is true.
 
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Nice to see it confirmed. It is said to be happening in October for around 2 weeks per ITV.
 
I'm so happy this has been confirmed, and am looking forward to tour season this fall.
 
Breaking News:
The High Commissioner of South Africa has confirmed the Sussex Africa Tour this fall-

South Africa, having mostly a mild subtropical or Mediterranean climate , is safe as far as mosquito-borne diseases are concerned. It is also a middle-income country with excellent facilities . At the beginning of the 20th century, it was probably on par in status with Australia and Canada within the future Commonwealth, but, unfiortunateky, like Argentina in South America, the country has declined throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries and South Africa is now much poorer than the former.

I would be more concerned if Harry and Meghan also toured Angola and took Archie with them.
 
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I’m looking forward to seeing how Meghan incorporates local fashion on this tour. It would be an enormous coup for a local designer if she wore their clothes.

I’m also very curious how they’ll handle the logistics of a 5-month-old baby on tour in Africa.
 
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