Duchess will ignore the risks of Zika virus to baby on visit to Fiji and Tonga
Palace source says that Duchess of Sussex took medical advice before embarking on tour
THE Duchess of Sussex will not be modifying her Commonwealth tour, which includes visits to Fiji and Tonga, despite the presence of the Zika virus.
A palace source said the Duchess had taken medical advice and that all issues, including the risk of Zika infection, had been taken into account before deciding to go ahead with the trip.
The Duke and Duchess, who is said to be in “good health” at this stage of her pregnancy, will fly to Fiji and Tonga next week, from Oct 23 to 26.
There, they will undertake a range of indoor and outdoor activities, including a welcome ceremony in a park, a lively marketplace linked with the UN Women’s project “Markets for Change” and the unveiling of a Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project in the Toloa Rainforest Reserve. The current Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice notes that UK health authorities have classified both Fiji and Tonga as “having a risk of Zika virus transmission”. Both countries are listed as “moderate” risk.
The NHS advises that infection with the virus during pregnancy “can lead to congenital Zika syndrome, with severe consequences for the baby”.
“It is recommended that pregnant women should consider postponing non-essential travel to areas at moderate risk of Zika virus transmission until after pregnancy,” it continues.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment on details of the decision to go ahead with the trip, but it is understood all Foreign Office and medical advice has been taken into consideration.
The inclusion of Fiji and Tonga in the royal visit had previously been cited by royal-watchers as a sign that the Duke and Duchess could not be expecting a baby just yet. They are, Kensington Palace said, “delighted” with the news. The announcement, ahead of the first day of their 16-day tour, will add an extra pressure to an already busy schedule, with 76 engagements already promised.
The majority take place in the morning and early afternoon, with most evenings kept free.
The couple will be based in Sydney for the first week of their trip, staying at Admiralty House but will fly to Dubbo on one day and Melbourne on another, making the return trip within 12 hours each time.
They will also fly to Hervey Bay to reach Fraser Island, to Fiji and Tonga, before heading across to Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua in New Zealand. Several events also require them to travel by boat.
Of more than 70 events, the Duchess is planning to be fully absent from just one: a wreath laying at a war memorial first thing in the morning in Suva, Fiji, where her husband will go alone.
The Zika infection is spread by the Aedes species of mosquitoes, which tends to bite during the day. It usually causes mild symptoms of fever, headache, muscle pain and a rash, but can have severe complications for unborn children.
The Duchess will be by no means the first royal to go on an overseas tour while pregnant. The Queen herself undertook a tour to Canada while expecting Prince Andrew.
The Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant with Prince Louis while on an official visit to Norway last year.