Duke and Duchess of Gloucester bring royal visit to close with touching tribute

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester brought their royal visit to Botswana to a close with a meaningful tribute.

The couple planted a commemorative tree in Gaborone to honour the country's 60th anniversary of independence.

Held at the British High Commissioner's Residence on 8 October, the occasion was attended by British High Commissioner to Botswana Giles Enticknap.

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The planting paid tribute to six decades of Botswana's independence while celebrating the enduring relationship between the southern African nation and the United Kingdom.

During their final engagement, the Duke and Duchess also met members of the British High Commission's Gaborone team.

Her time in Botswana also offered the Duchess an opportunity to explore the cultural and religious connections linking the country with Britain.

A day earlier, on 7 October, she visited the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Gaborone, accompanied by Mr Enticknap.

There, she learnt about the cathedral's longstanding links with Newcastle in the UK and met one of Botswana's recently ordained women priests.

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Birgitte recently joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at St James's Palace for celebrating the contribution of Commonwealth communities in Britain and around the world.