Sussex is welcoming its new Duke and Duchess today as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle head to the county for the first time.
The couple, who married in May, are taking in Chichester, Bognor, Brighton and Peacehaven during their whistle-stop tour, reports the BBC reports.
During their stop-off in the seaside hotspot of Bognor Regis, they will open the University of Chichester’s Engineering and Digital Technology Park, launching in partnership with local businesses.
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Speaking to the Chichester Observer, Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex Susan Pyper said: “We are so honoured to have the Duke and Duchess visiting our historic county and I know West Sussex residents are as excited as I am to welcome them here.
“I hope they enjoy exploring some of the rich history of Chichester, including viewing the very special Sussex Declaration, before opening the university’s fantastic technology park in Bognor Regis.”
The royal couple will also visit the headquarters of Survivors’ Network, a Brighton-based charity that supports survivors of rape and sexual assault.
The charity’s director, Jay Breslaw, said there was “a mood of real jubilation in the office”.
“We recognise the huge importance [of this visit] to us as a small charity in Sussex, and particularly in this time when funding is difficult, funds are being cut,” Breslaw added.
The couple will end their tour in the coastal town of Peacehaven, “where they will meet young individuals at the Joff Youth Centre”, says the Daily Express.
They will discuss the organisation’s ongoing work on mental health and well-being, “as an extension of the royal couple’s previous work on mental health as part of the Heads Together campaign”, according to the newspaper.
Peter Field, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, said the couple had also played a major part in helping the local economy, by boosting tourism.
“There is no doubt that since Her Majesty the Queen gave them the title of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day, at a ceremony watched by over two billion people worldwide, that most people in the world are now aware of the beautiful counties of East and West Sussex and how beautiful they are,” Field told the Brighton and Hove Independent.
“I am aware that visitor numbers have already increased, and I know that many businesses are now taking advantage of the additional publicity.”
