Royal Watch News

Duchess Catherine readies for Asian tour

Aug 28, 2012, 12:01 GMT

Duchess Catherine

Duchess Catherine is busy preparing for her forthcoming tour of South-East Asia.

The British royal and her husband, Prince William, will represent Queen Elizabeth with the nine-day tour next month - part of the monarch's Diamond Jubilee celebrations - and sources warn it will be the Duchess' biggest challenge to date.

Catherine - who married the Prince last April - has undertaken one royal tour of North America with her husband, but the South-East Asian trip is said to be far more demanding in terms of schedule.

A source told Hello! magazine: 'Catherine will feel under scrutiny more than ever before on this trip.

'Her first official tour, when she and William visited Canada and California, was a triumph, but she was still new to it all - it was her honeymoon period, both in terms of her marriage and her relationship with the public. Now that she's had more time to settle in, it'll be even tougher because she's set the bar so high.'

The trip, which begins on September 11, will take the royal couple to Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and the tiny Polynesian island nation Tuvalu.

The itinerary features informal engagements such as trips to a botanical garden and a primary school as well as important formal state dinners and receptions at High Commissions.

The world's media spotlight will also be on Catherine, who is currently thought to be assembling a formidable wardrobe selection to guide her through up to five different engagements a day.

The Duke and Duchess will also be accompanied by a team including Sir David Manning, their private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, and the Duchess' newly appointed personal private secretary, Rebecca Deacon.