Earl and Countess of Wessex to attend Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, andtheCountess of Wessex, will visit Sri Lanka from 31 January to 4 February.They will represent the Queen at the70th anniversary celebration of Sri Lanka’s independence on 4 February. 

TheEarl and Countess will travel to Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka, celebrating the long-standing friendship between the two countries and shared interest in the Commonwealth, youth development and education. 

They will meet participants in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and young Sri Lankans selected as Queen’s Young Leaders, an initiative to recognise and celebrate exceptional young people across the Commonwealth.

The Earl and Countess will also meet representatives of a number of projects advancing causes they support through their work, including MENCAFEP,whose work to help differently-abled children and their families in the Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts illustratesthe close links between the people of Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

As the United Kingdom looks forward to hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018, the visitwill highlight our countries’ shared ambitionto ensure the Commonwealth is well-placed to help deliver a bright future for its Members’ citizens.

Prince Edward is the youngest child of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Earl and Countess support the Queen in her official duties and undertake many public engagements each year in support of a wide range of charities and non-governmental organisations.