The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to visit Australia in their second visit as a couple.Credit:Phil Noble
The trip will be William's fifth visit to Australia and the pair's first since 2014. William,second in line to the throne after his father Charles,toured flood-stricken Queensland and Victoria on behalf of the royal family in 2011.
The couple have been distressed by the death toll,destruction of thousands of homes and widespread loss of flora and fauna during the summer disaster. They quickly expressed interest in visiting,but did not want to divert resources to a royal tour in the immediate aftermath of the emergency.
They are expected to visit NSW and Victoria,however,planning is not finalised and other states including South Australia may be added.
Kensington Palace declined to comment but an announcement is expected within weeks provided there are no last-minute changes to their schedule.
William's visit to Queensland in 2011 took place about two months after the peak of the flood disaster,while a lightning trip to New Zealand last year occurred six weeks after Australian man Brenton Tarrant allegedly shot dead 51 people in a mosque and Islamic centre in Christchurch.
The 37-year-old and his 38-year-old wife are the most popular members of the British royal family after the Queen. A YouGov poll of more than 6000 people taken between January 2019 and January 2020 showed 65 per cent of the British public had a positive opinion of William,while 64 per cent had a positive view of Catherine. Less than 10 per cent held a negative opinion of the pair.