The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will remain among the guests of the King of Morocco tonight

Thank you for coming and your interest in this royal visit. It's very exciting to have TRH, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, here for the next few days, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to show the vital role that the ## 147 ## 39, education and strengthening of this girl's youth play in the formation of modern Morocco.

When we started planning this visit, I had a very clear idea of ​​the story we wanted to tell. It's the same story we regularly tell this embassy on Morocco since I arrived here 20 months ago. Fortunately, we discovered that this story corresponded to TRH's interests.

The British ambassador to Morocco, Thomas Reilly (photo), said he was "extremely excited" by the couple's visit, designed to strengthen links between the United Kingdom and Morocco.

This official visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will highlight Morocco's emphasis on women's empowerment, girls' education, inclusion and the following year. encouragement of social entrepreneurship.

From a project to educate girls in the High Atlas, to programs for children with disabilities and young people with mental health problems, to meetings with young social entrepreneurs. We will show directly to TRH the transformational impact of community programs and Morocco 's changing social attitudes towards women.

So what is the history of this country?

Morocco has gone through a more turbulent period than its neighbors through the Arab Spring. The king was already pursuing a program of modernization and reform before 2011, which meant that under his leadership the country was well placed to respond to popular protests. And its economic and political stability since is due to this answer.

But Morocco continues to modernize rapidly. It has an impressive infrastructure. It houses the first TGV of Africa. The port of Tangier-Med has experienced unprecedented growth in its ten years of existence (and has just tripled its dock size). The Noor renewable energy center in the desert, in Ouarzazate, is the largest of its kind in the world. And Morocco has a strategic vision of development on and with the rest of the African continent. Casablanca Finance City is designed to attract financial services and business services companies using Morocco as an African hub. OCP is developing fertilizers for use in the arid and desert conditions of sub-Saharan Africa.

But Morocco is determined that its modernization is not at the expense of its links with its past. Thus, he has used many parts of his traditions as a means of modernization. Horses have a special meaning in Moroccan culture and, in some places, the mullet remains the mainstay of local transport. While modern Morocco is integrating more and more people with disabilities into daily life, it is experimenting with equine therapy programs for children with disabilities, disadvantaged young people and young adults with mental illness.

Women have always played a vital role in Moroccan society. The focus on improving girls' access to secondary education (especially in rural areas) and on improving women's vocational training is the Recognition that a better education, freeing human growth and the development potential of a woman, is essential for sustainable economic growth. There is still a lot to do in this area. But it is clear that mentalities are changing rapidly – as evidenced by the influential role that women play more and more in the sports, social, political, commercial and cultural scenes of modern Morocco.

After an official arrival tonight, the couple will spend a quiet evening before heading to the Atlas Mountains tomorrow (photo), where they will visit educational projects and Meghan will receive a traditional henna drawing on his right hand.

Traditional crafts and Moroccan cuisine are internationally recognized. And modern Morocco is determined to protect and develop these old trades while encouraging its young people to be more entrepreneurial in their manufacture and marketing. An increase in the entrepreneurial spirit will help diversify and increase the dynamism of the modern Moroccan economy, creating jobs and raising the standard of living.

Finally, this visit is an important opportunity to promote close relations between the British and Moroccan peoples. The United Kingdom stands by you, Morocco as a full partner in this journey. We will work with you to help you maintain and promote your stability, showcase your success and encourage you to continue together this long and exciting journey of modernization.

I would like to thank His Majesty the King of Morocco for the incredible generosity and grace he has shown us and for all the help given by the Moroccan government and the local authorities in the preparation of this visit.

Preparing for this tour has been so much fun and there has been such a build up of excitement over the past two weeks. We hope that TRH will enjoy their visit as much as we enjoyed preparing it for them. I hope they find it useful, enlightening and educational – Morocco has a lot to offer – commercially, culturally and politically.

But beyond that, I hope that this visit will open up new perspectives and new areas of cooperation and partnership between our two countries. And I hope that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return to spend more time visiting other parts of this most intriguing country.

The couple will leave on February 23 and spend three busy days making official commitments in Morocco.

The pair will leave Saturday and spend three busy days making official commitments to Morocco before returning to the UK on Monday.

Upon their arrival at Casablanca Airport, Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, will be greeted by the British Ambassador to Morocco and his wife before inspecting a guard of honor. .

The couple will spend the second day of their tour in different schools in the small town of Asni, before attending a reception organized by the British ambassador, Thomas Reilly.

On Monday, the third and final day of their visit, will be dedicated to meeting children with special needs, before going to a cooking demonstration, a traditional Moroccan handicraft exhibition and a grooming session. horses in an equestrian center.

Saturday, February 23

The duke and the duchess will leave London and arrive in Morocco after three hours and twenty minutes of flight.

They will be greeted by the British ambassador to Morocco, Thomas Reilly, and his wife Alix at Casablanca airport, before Harry inspects a guard of honor.

Sunday, February 24

The Duke and Duchess will visit a pension at Asni.

The Moroccan NGO "Education for All" is building boarding schools for girls aged 12 to 18 to allow girls from rural communities in the High Atlas region to have access to secondary education. .

The couple will meet girls living in the boarding house and the mother and visit the facilities before the henna ceremony at the Duchess.

They will then visit the local high school and meet the students and teachers before watching the children play football.

Upon arrival at Casablanca airport, Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, will be greeted by the British Ambassador to Morocco and his wife.

Members of the Royal Family will continue their busy day with a visit to the original "Education For All" pension where the Duke will invest the founder, Michael McHugo, into the most excellent Order of the British Empire.

Mr. McHugo received an MBE from the 2019 New Year awards for his services aimed at improving gender equality in education in Morocco.

The Duke and Duchess will then attend a reception organized by the British Ambassador to Morocco and his wife in Rabat, including Moroccan women leaders, young entrepreneurs and athletes with disabilities.

Monday, February 25

Harry and Meghan will start their last day with a visit to the Royal Moroccan Federation of Equestrian Sports.

They will learn more about the program being developed by Morocco to help children with special needs through equine therapy.

The Duke and Duchess will attend a horse grooming session with some of the kids, before watching a horse show and meeting with coaches and instructors.

The couple will also meet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as a mental health charity and those involved.

In the afternoon, Harry and Meghan will visit a cooking demonstration in which children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Rabat will learn traditional Moroccan recipes prepared by one of the greatest Moroccan chefs.

The Duke and Duchess will meet disabled children who work in a specially designed restaurant in Rabat.

At the end of their busy tour in Rabat, the couple will visit the Andalusian gardens where they will be informed about youth empowerment in Morocco by a number of young social entrepreneurs.

Before returning to England, the couple will discover traditional Moroccan handicrafts in the public garden surrounded by exotic plants, flowers and fruit trees.