The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are embarking on a two-day visit to Jordan, aiming to draw attention to crucial efforts supporting communities impacted by conflict and displacement.
During their trip, Prince Harry and Meghan will visit projects they have financially backed, which facilitate the medical evacuation of children from the conflict in Gaza to the Middle Eastern nation.
The couple, who stepped back from their roles as working royals in 2020 to pursue personal and financial independence, are undertaking the visit at the invitation of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation.
Their journey coincides with a period of significant upheaval for the royal family, following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office. While Harry has remained silent on the recent family turmoil, his memoir, Spare, highlighted how, despite allegations of sexual assault linked to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein against his uncle, there was no suggestion of him losing his taxpayer-funded security.
In May last year the duke lost a Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK.
But in a major U-turn, the Home Office is said to have now ordered a full threat assessment for the first time since 2020, amid reports Harry’s taxpayer-funded armed protection will be reinstated for visits to the UK.
Since moving to California in 2020 for a new life the Sussexes have carried out a number of foreign visits that have taken the form of official trips they made when still part of ‘The Firm’ as the royal family is colloquially known.
During their two-day visit the Sussexes will meet Jordanian leaders and senior health officials, engage with WHO teams, visit frontline health and mental health programmes and meet World Central Kitchen staff co-ordinating food relief for Gaza from Amman.
They will also visit the social development organisation Questscope’s youth centre to hear from young people participating in creative and wellbeing programmes.
The couple first partnered with the WHO on a global campaign to encourage vaccine equity and co-hosted a high-level event at the UN General Assembly in 2021, and their charitable body has also worked with the organisation on its global initiative to help end violence against children.
