Duke and Duchess of Sussex support Morocco girls' school
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Reuters
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have met young women in Morocco to show support for girls' education.
The couple were welcomed to a boarding house in the village of Asni by the girls, who waved flags and sang songs.
The secondary school is run by a Moroccan group that provides classes for girls from rural areas whose families cannot afford their education.
Harry and Meghan, who flew from the capital Rabat by helicopter, are on a three-day visit to the country.
The couple's first official trip to the north African country is aimed at strengthening links with the UK.
Kensington Palace said 70% of women and girls in Morocco were illiterate.
"Many have limited access to secondary school or no means of affording transport to school," it said in a tweet.
The charity Education for All , which runs the boarding school "has given girls from the poorest villages and most remote areas of Morocco the chance to reach their potential and contribute to Morocco's continued development", it added in a later tweet.
Meghan and Harry walked along a line of students and touched their hearts each time they shook a pupil's hand, as is local custom.
The duke asked one pupil "is this the best school in Morocco?" as they were led inside the boarding house.
Harry was also seen placing a reassuring hand on his heavily-pregnant wife's back as they entered the building. The couple are expecting their first child at the end of April or early May.
Last year, the duke and duchess went on their first official tour as a married couple with a 16-day royal trip around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.