Duchess Of Sussex Wears Givenchy At An Oceania Exhibition In London
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Pregnant Duchess of Sussex ‘took medical advice’ about Zika ahead of tour

She will travel to Tonga and Fiji, which have a risk of Zika transmission

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not make any changes to their overseas tour following the announcement they’re expecting their first child.

There had been questions over whether Meghan, 37, would travel as planned to Tonga and Fiji, which have both been listed as countries with a risk of Zika, a virus that can cause severe birth defects.

However, Kensington Palace has confirmed no changes will be made to the royals’ itinerary for their first international tour as a married couple.

Guests Arrive For The Wedding Of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
Meghan will continue with her travel plans to Fiji and Tonga (Credit: Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com)

Read more: Why The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby won’t be a prince or princess

A source added to The Mirror: “The Duke and Duchess sought medical advice about the risk of the Zika virus on the islands of Fiji and Tonga and there will be no change to the planned schedule.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the Pacific Islands as holding a risk of Zika and advises pregnant women not to travel to the areas.

The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Are Expecting A Baby
Harry and Meghan’s baby will be seventh in line to the throne (Credit: Splashnews)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also list Fiji and Tonga as areas that have been classified as having a “moderate” risk of Zika transmission.

Zika is mostly spread by mosquito bites and can be passed from the pregnant woman to her foetus.

There is currently no vaccine or medication for Zika.

Meghan pictured on September 10 (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Meghan and Harry, 34, are scheduled to arrive in Fiji on October 23 and have a jam-packed schedule including a State Dinner hosted by The President of Fiji, before moving on to visit Tonga, where again they’ll be kept busy.

Their international tour also takes in Australia and New Zealand.

Kensington Palace confirmed Meghan’s pregnancy hours after the couple touched down in Sydney to begin their mammoth tour across four countries.

A spokesperson said: “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019.

“Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”

Read more: The two clues Meghan and Harry were about to announce a pregnancy

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at Sydney airport ahead of their Royal Tour of Australia.
Meghan pictured arriving in Sydney with Harry on Monday morning. The purple folders sparked speculation she was hiding a bump (Credit: Media-Mode / SplashNews.com)

It’s believed Meghan and Harry shared their baby news with the Royal Family at Princess Eugenie’s wedding on Friday.

Speculation that Meghan could be expecting her first child arose when she wore a loose fitting navy coat to Eugenie’s nuptials and did not remove it throughout the ceremony.

A palace rep said: “The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted for the couple and were able to congratulate them on Friday at the wedding in person.”

The baby will be seventh in line to the throne.

Have you ever cancelled travel plans because of a pregnancy? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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