Pregnant Duchess and Duke of Cambridge to visit Sweden and Norway for the first time

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pictured together over Christmas
PA Wire/PA Images
Robert Jobson15 January 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to tour Sweden and Norway for the first time.

Pregnant Kate will join Prince William in the two Scandinavian countries where they will be hosted by the local royal families.

The tour will take place between January 30 and February 2.

During the visit, at the request of The Foreign Office, they will meet a wide variety of people, including children and young people, those working in the mental health sector, and leaders in business, academia and scientific research, government, civil society and the creative industries.

Their children - unlike in previous tours - will not be accompanying them.

Kate and William attend glittering reception in Berlin

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The Duke and Duchess will be welcomed to Sweden and Norway by the respective Royal Families of each country.

They have been invited by Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to a special luncheon at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and in Norway will join Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja at Oslo's Royal Palace for an official dinner.

The couple will also spend time with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, who will join them on a number of their engagements throughout the visit.

William and Kate meet the stars at the Royal Variety Performance

Some 15 members of the Swedish royal court will be at one event.

Also actors Stellan Skarsgård - Good Will Hunting and Mamma Mia - and Alicia Vikander - who will star as Lara Croft in a 2018 film of Tomb Raider - will be at a black tie dinner with William and Kate.

A spokesman said: “The tour will take in the beautiful settings of both Stockholm and Oslo, and The Duke and Duchess are looking forward to exploring these two cities for the first time.

“Their Royal Highnesses will wander through the cobbled streets of Stockholm en route to the iconic Stortorget square; they will take in the lit up skyline from the Fotografiska Galleries, and they will visit the ski jump Holmenkollen, one of Norway's most iconic landmarks, which boasts dramatic views over the city of Oslo.

“The four day tour will also include time learning more about what makes Scandinavian culture so unique, from attitudes towards young people and mental health in schools, to the importance of being active and spending time outdoors, whatever the temperature may be,” the spokesman said.

The Duke and Duchess are keen to experience a taste of the Scandinavian way of life for themselves, and to see how people of all generations battle the elements to make the most of their surroundings, whether ice- skating in Stockholm's local parks, or skiing off-piste in the hills that surround Oslo.

The UK’s links with each country are extensive, and Their Royal Highnesses are looking forward to building a lasting friendship with the people of both Sweden and Norway.