Prince Harry’s wife pulled out of Zambia trip for fear of Zika virus
Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, was supposed to accompany her husband on a two-day visit to Zambia but pulled out over concerns about the Zika virus, according to British newspaper The Sun.
Below is the article published by The Sun
THE pregnant Duchess of Sussex pulled out of a visit to Zambia over Zika virus concerns.
Prince Harry will instead make the two-day Africa tour alone while an “exhausted” Meghan spends some time with her mum Doria.
Officially the trip, which was announced last week, was always going to involve only Harry, 34, but palace courtiers privately claim the couple were both due to go.
An insider said: “As far as those on the ground in Zambia were concerned both Meghan and Harry were going. But Meghan is exhausted and, understandably, expressed serious concerns about travelling to a country with even the smallest Zika threat.
“In the end it was agreed Harry would go it alone and Meghan could rest-up and spend some quality time with Doria, who is down in the UK visiting.”
The prince, representing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, leaves tonight and is expected to attend a reception to celebrate UK-Zambia relations tomorrow.
He is also due to visit Burma Barracks in the capital Lusaka to commemorate World War One and Two vets from the country.
News of his solo trip comes less than a month after Meghan and Harry returned to Britain from their overseas tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.
Meghan, 37, who is expecting the couple’s first baby in the spring, was reportedly ordered by doctors to stay away from rainforests and jungles during the trip over fears about Zika.
The virus, mainly spread by mosquitoes, is more serious in pregnant women, and is blamed for serious birth defects.