THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX TO VISIT SUSSEX
West and East Sussex
Wednesday 3rd October, 2018
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make their first joint official visit to Sussex on Wednesday 3rd October.
The Duke and Duchess will visit Edes House, located at the heart of Chichester which is the county town of West Sussex. At Edes House Their Royal Highnesses will be shown the rare Sussex copy of the American Declaration of Independence. The Sussex Declaration is one of only two contemporary handwritten ceremonial manuscript copies, the other being the signed copy housed in the National Archives in Washington D.C. The Duke and Duchess will then travel along the coast to Bognor Regis where they will officially open the University of Chichester’s Engineering and Digital Technology Park. The cutting edge Technology Park has been designed to offer practical experiences in partnership with local industry. Their Royal Highnesses will then take their departure from West Sussex and travel along the coast to the vibrant seaside city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex.
Their Royal Highnesses’ first stop in Brighton will be the iconic Royal Pavilion. Starting its life in the mid 1780s, the Royal Pavilion was built by George, Prince of Wales, who later became the Prince Regent. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will tour several of the Pavilion’s rooms, learning more about the building’s history and the impact that it had on the social development of Brighton in the 18th century. Their Royal Highnesses will then walk to Survivors’ Network, a charity that supports survivors of sexual violence and abuse in Sussex. The Duke and Duchess will have the opportunity to talk to service users, volunteers and staff. Travelling further East, Their Royal Highnesses’ final engagement of the day will be a visit to JOFF Youth Centre in the coastal town of Peacehaven. The centre is a community hub that offers a range of positive activities, a ‘chill out’ area and music practice room. At the Centre, The Duke and Duchess will meet young people from youth groups across East Sussex to hear their strategic plans and priorities around mental health and emotional wellbeing. Their discussions are part of Takeover Challenge day, which is a national initiative that encourages organisations to put young people into real life decision-making positions.
