The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Are Heading to Sussex!

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very fittingly heading to...Sussex, where a packed day awaits. The couple will carry out five engagements (with a couple of walkabouts expected) across West Sussex and East Sussex, visiting Chichester, Bognor Regis, Brighton and Peacehaven throughout the day.

There's been quite the buzz about the visit since the Palace confirmed the news yesterday afternoon. A look at the cover of the Brighton Argus newspaper today. It's been fascinating to see the reaction in local media to the news and to hear about the relationship Harry and Meghan hope to foster with the area.

The Argus reports:

'Peter Fields, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, says the Duke and Duchess are looking forward to getting to know more about the county.

He said: “Knowing how busy Their Royal Highnesses are, it will be a great pleasure for me to welcome them to East Sussex starting at the Royal Pavilion.” Speaking about the visit, Cllr Simson said: “It’s an honour to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Brighton and Hove on behalf of all our residents.

“We gladly shared our happy wishes with the couple at the time of their wedding in May and were delighted when they were conferred the titles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. We’re incredibly excited the royal couple are coming to our city and hope this will be the first of many visits.”

The Chicester Observer already has a Live Royal Blog running ahead of the visit. Mrs Susan Pyper spoke to the Hastings Observer about the itinerary and planning for the day.

'Mrs Susan Pyper said it had been a ‘difficult decision’ to choose where the royal couple should go to during their first visit to Sussex on Wednesday but gave hope of many visits to ‘in years to come’.

Mrs Pyper, who represents the Queen in West Sussex, said: “It marks just the beginning of what I hope will be a long and enjoyable relationship between Their Royal Highnesses and ourselves. “I know that they wish to visit as frequently as their busy schedules allow and we have so much to show them in vibrant, diverse and beautiful West Sussex. Their intention is to really get to know the county.”

“They will be going all over the county in years to come and have expressed a wish to learn about and see at first hand the challenges faced in some parts of the community as well as to hear about our many success stories. I will make sure that happens.”

What's on the programme for the day? It's a very varied itinerary combining Harry and Meghan's own interests with important locations in Sussex. They will begin with a visit to Edes House, located at the heart of Chichester which is the county town of West Sussex.

They will be shown the rare Sussex copy of the American Declaration of Independence. The Sussex Declaration is one of only two contemporary handwritten ceremonial manuscript copies, the other being the signed copy housed in the National Archives in Washington DC.

 The Duke and Duchess will then travel along the coast to Bognor Regis where they will officially open the University of Chichester's Engineering and Digital Technology Park.

From there, they will travel along the coast to the vibrant seaside city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex. Their first stop in Brighton will be the iconic Royal Pavilion. Starting its life in the mid 1780s, the Royal Pavilion was built by George, Prince of Wales, who later became the Prince Regent. The Duke and Duchess will tour several of the pavilion's rooms, learning more about the building's history and the impact that it had on the social development of Brighton in the 18th century.

They will then walk to Survivors' Network, a charity that supports survivors of sexual violence and abuse in Sussex. The Duke and Duchess will have the opportunity to talk to service users, volunteers and staff. I thought it a particularly interesting engagement. With the launch of Together, we saw the beginning of Meghan's work with women and girls. Whilst there's been no official word on this, I believe we may very well see her working with and supporting women who have been abused, and the organisations who work tirelessly to provide them with support. I feel this visit is particularly significant and indicative of future work we may see from the Duchess. Survivors' Network was established in 1990 by a group of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse to provide services that would support other females who have suffered similar traumatic experiences.

Jay Breslaw, Director of Survivors' Network said:

"Sexual violence and abuse can happen to anyone and we support people of all genders and ages along their recovery journey. We are really looking forward to showing the Duke and Duchess the impact of our work in Sussex."

The final engagement of the day will be focused on young people and mental health. During a visit to JOFF Youth Centre in the coastal town of Peacehaven, Harry and Meghan will speak to a group of young people about their strategic plans and priorities around mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The royal pair will undoubtedly be immensely touched by the level of planning and consideration for the visit. Below, an open letter to the couple from Chicester district. It perfectly underscores the meaning of a royal visit, especially to a rural area, and how important it is for the Royal family to foster relationships across the UK:

“We are thrilled to welcome you to Chichester and its surrounding district. “Our beautiful city is famous for its cathedral, historic cross and its Roman heritage. “While our wider district, is renowned for its stunning countryside and coastline. “However, what I believe will interest you most is the people who live and work here. “It’s my belief that they have a lot in common with both of you. They share your passion for the arts, culture, conservation, community causes and charities. And they are very proud and protective of the place that they call home. “We hope that your visit to our area will become one of many and that over time you are able to discover the area and get to know our incredible people – both in an official and personal capacity.

“This is invaluable in a district that is 303 square miles and largely rural. Working closely with you we believe that we will be able to highlight what the district has to offer and share its story with a much wider audience. “Over the years, our area has developed strong connections with your family. Last year, your grandmother, the Queen, visited our internationally recognised Chichester Festival Theatre – a place that we believe the Duchess of Sussex will love! “The Queen also visited one of the special charities located within the district – Canine Partners – which partners specially trained assistance dogs with people who have physical disabilities. “More recently, we were also lucky enough to welcome the Countess of Wessex, who opened the UK’s first dementia hub at Tangmere in May of this year. “We believe that your roles, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will enhance this special relationship even further and we very much look forward to working closely with you to develop this.'

In terms of Meghan's look for the day, she will need quite a versatile yet comfortable ensemble to take her through a variety of engagements and walkabouts. During previous 'away days', we've seen Meghan opt for smart casual looks featuring an array of separates. In Birmingham, Meghan opted for the J Crew Tipped Wrap Coat, the All Saints Ridley Jumper and black tailored Alexander Wang trousers.

In Belfast, Meghan was chic in the Mackage Mai Coat, her Victoria Beckham sweater and a fitted forest green skirt by Greta Constantine.

And in July, for a variety of engagements in Dublin, the Duchess selected a sophisticated black Givenchy suit with a simple white top underneath. All three options would work well for the day in Sussex.

Before I sign off, a word of thanks for the very kind feedback following Meghan's first solo appearance at Oceania. I was delighted to see so many of you expressing an interest in additional background information on engagements and events Meghan attends. Following the royals provides an opportunity to learn about so many wonderful charitable organisations, philanthropic efforts and cultural highlights such as Oceania. I very much appreciate the feedback and will keep it in mind as I plan coverage for the upcoming tour.

Speaking of the tour, I think there's an excellent chance the full itinerary will be released within the next week. I'm looking forward to seeing the plan for the sixteen days and each of the engagements in store. It's now less than three weeks away!