Why Prince William Will Leave Kate at Home When He Flies to China and Japan
Prince William is set to leave pregnant Kate at home as he takes his fight for wildlife to East Asia
Pregnant Princess Kate may be feeling better after struggling with severe morning sickness earlier this year, but she’s still under a doctor’s supervision and won’t be accompanying her husband, Prince William, when he takes a trip to East Asia early next year.
William, 32, who’s set to head to New York with Kate on Dec. 7, will visit Japan and China on behalf of the British government, his office has announced.
It’s understood that both he and Kate, 32, were invited to China but she will be heavily pregnant with her second child by the time of the planned visits in late February and early March. Prince George‘s sibling is due in April.
This will be the first time a member of the British royal family has visited China in 30 years.
William’s trip will start with three days in Japan in late February. There, in “Tokyo and elsewhere,” his office says he will focus on “U.K.-Japan relations, commerce and cultural exchange,” and his visit will be in “support of his own personal interest in combating the illegal wildlife trade.”
A key part of that campaign is curbing the consumer demand in Asia for ivory and rhino horn products. Poachers can make up to $1,500 per pound of ivory on the black market, according to The Week.
In China, where he will also spend three days, William will open the Great Festival of Creativity at Shanghai’s Long Museum on March 2 and carry out engagements in Beijing and elsewhere to promote U.K.-China relations.
The Great Festival of Creativity was set up “to give over 500 of Britain’s most innovative businesses the opportunity to reach potential Chinese partners and demonstrate how British creativity can help businesses innovate and grow,” William’s office said in a statement.