Per AFP News:
His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales will visit Brazil in March, royal officials said Thursday, amid tension in neighbouring Argentina over his brother the Duke of Cambridge’s upcoming mission in the Falkland Islands.
Prince Harry, the third in line to the British throne, will arrive in Brazil on March 9 after touring Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica as part of celebrations for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, officials said.
The 27-year-old’s stop in Brazil is designed to “enhance the partnership between the United Kingdom and Brazil”, St James’ Palace said, adding that the visit had been organized by the foreign ministry.
In a move that has angered Brazil’s neighbour Argentina, Harry’s elder brother the Duke of Cambridge is due to complete a six-week mission as a rescue pilot in the disputed Falklands Islands early this year.
Argentina has complained that the Duke’s mission, falling just ahead of the 30th anniversary of a short but bloody British-Argentine war over the islands, is “a provocative act”.
The Royal Air Force has insisted the Duke of Cambridge, second in the line of succession, is going as part of a “normal squadron crew rotation”.
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday accused Argentina of “colonialism” towards the Falklands, which are British-held but also claimed by Buenos Aires.
Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is currently in Brazil, said on Thursday that Britain was launching its “most ambitious effort to strengthen ties with Latin America in 200 years”.
“The days of our diplomatic retreat from your region are over,” he said.
Harry, who is training to become an army pilot, will arrive in Belize on March 2, kicking off a series of trips by British royals to celebrate the queen’s 60th year on the throne.
William, 29, and his wife Catherine will travel to the Asia-Pacific region, while heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit countries including Australia and Canada.
The world tour adds to events in Britain marking the jubilee, including a massive pageant on the River Thames involving up to 1,000 boats, while the queen, 85, and her husband Prince Philip, 90, will travel widely in Britain.
On March 11, 2012, the Japanese government will hold a memorial ceremony in Tokyo in memory of the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit parts of the Tohku region last year.
The Royal Correspondent 