William and Kate to visit Pacific Islands: palace

The Queen, accompanied by Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on their Royal visit to Nottingham city. Nottingham, Uk
==============================================================

Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine will visit the Pacific Islands of Solomon and Tuvalu in September as part of a tour marking the queen's Diamond Jubilee, the palace said.

The royal couple will begin the nine-day trip, designed to mark the 60-year reign of William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, with a stop in Singapore from September 11-13, St James's Palace has confirmed.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will move on to Malaysia where they will visit the capital Kuala Lumpur and Borneo's Sabah state from September 13-15.

The pair will then travel to the Solomon Islands, a former British protectorate northeast of Australia, between September 16-18 before a final stop in the tiny nation of Tuvalu from September 18-19.

Queen Elizabeth is head of state in the Solomons and Tuvalu, both of which are members of the Commonwealth.

Catherine has already revealed that William, second in line to the British throne, has been making some special preparations ahead of the trip.

"William's been practising his dance moves," the Duchess joked as the couple met Solomon Islands' governor general Sir Frank Kabui at a reception in June.

"We're extremely excited. Both of us have never been anywhere near there," William said during the event at London's historic Guildhall.

A spokeswoman at St James's Palace said further details about the tour would be released towards the end of August.