Thousands of Fijians lined the streets of their capital city, Suva, to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. and one person amongst them is former John Kyrle High School pupil, Melanie Hopkins. Melanie, the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji is meeting the Duchess for her first solo engagement of the trip.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Fiji as part of their official visit to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.

And on Wednesday, October 24th The Duchess is attending a morning tea at the British High Commissioner’s Residence to showcase women’s organisations which operate throughout Fiji. In particular, Her Royal Highness will hear more about a UN Women’s project, ‘Markets for Change’, which promotes women’s empowerment in market places throughout the Pacific. The Duchess will then travel to Suva Market to meet some of the female vendors who have become empowered through the project.

The Duke and Duchess, who have recently announced that they are expecting their first child, travelled to Fiji’s capital, Suva, on Tuesday, October 23rd where they embarked on a three-day programme, experiencing the rich Fijian culture and generous hospitality.

Following their arrival they attended an official welcome ceremony in the city centre’s Albert Park, Veirqaraqaravi Vakavanua, which embodies Fijian cultural identity and heritage, and mirrored the one attended by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in 1953. It involved a number of traditional elements of Fijian culture, including dance performances, the presentation of the Tabua, and a Kava ceremony. Members of the public from across Suva were invited to attend and thousands of them took up the invitation.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.