Duke of Edinburgh to meet Jonathan the tortoise on remote South Atlantic island
The King’s youngest brother is travelling to St Helena from January 23-26.
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Your support makes all the difference.The Duke of Edinburgh is to pay an official visit this week to one of the world’s most remote islands.
Edward is travelling to St Helena from January 23-26, spending four days on the subtropical British Overseas Territory which sits in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.
It will follow his two-day working trip to South Africa which began on Monday, with the duke visiting Pretoria and meeting animal conservation groups.
On St Helena, the King’s youngest brother will open the airport, meet community leaders and also encounter the island’s most famous inhabitant – 191-year-old Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise.
Jonathan is the oldest living land animal in the world and is thought to have hatched in 1832.
A public holiday has been announced on the island for Wednesday to celebrate the visit by the duke, who is 14th in line to the throne.
Edward is the first member of the royal family to visit St Helena since the Princess Royal travelled there 22 years ago in 2002.
Governor Nigel Phillips said: “This promises to be a special occasion, with a public holiday allowing the entire community to join this opportunity to celebrate all that is great about the culture and environment of this remarkable island.”
The overseas tour comes as the Princess of Wales remains in hospital after abdominal surgery, with the Prince of Wales stepping back temporarily from royal duties to care for her and their children, and while the King prepares to be admitted to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate.
The duke and his wife the Duchess of Edinburgh, both 59, are the youngest members of Charles’s slimmed down working monarchy who are currently carrying out royal duties.
At just 47 square miles, St Helena is a third of size of the Isle of Wight, and around the same size as Disney World Orlando.
Its nearest landmass is Ascension Island, which is 807 miles to the north west.