Meghan Markle and Prince Harry kick off tour of Morocco with traditional welcome of dates & milk

MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have kicked-off their three-day tour of Morocco with a guard of honour in Casablanca.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were delayed by two hours after their commercial flight was late taking off following the knock-on effects of an earlier delay to their scheduled plane.

Meghan and Harry were welcomed to the country by the British ambassador Thomas Reilly and his wife Alix.

The Duchess kicked off the tour in style, wearing a red bespoke Valentino dress which was accessorised with a pink clutch handbag and gloves as well as matching high heels by Christian Dior.

The Duke of Sussex also looked stylish in a grey suit.

Harry inspected a guard of honour from the Auxiliary Forces, who were dressed in dazzling white uniforms.

The royals then walked along a red carpet that led to Casablanca Airport's royal suite where they were offered milk and dates.

A motorcade of black limousines was on hand to take the couple to meet the country's Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.

The 15-year-old prince shook hands with the royal couple at the entrance to their villa in the grounds of the royal palace.

They will be staying as guests of Morocco's King Mohammed VI.

Mr Reilly said: "It’s hugely exciting to have their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex here for the the next few days and I’m really excited to showcase the vital roles that girls education and youth employment are playing in shaping modern Morocco.

"When we began planning for this visit, I had a very clear view in my mind of the story we wanted this visit to tell. It’s the same story we’ve be telling consistently at this embassy for the last 20 months since my arrival here.

"This official visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will highlight Morocco’s focus on women’s empowerment, girls education, inclucivity and the encouragement of social entrepreneurship."

The pair are making only their third official overseas trip together, following visits to Dublin and a tour of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific last year.

The royal couple are set to have a busy few days with seven official engagements lined up.

After landing in the North African country Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to travel to the capital Rabat.

SCHEDULE

Meghan, 37, who is seven months pregnant, and her husband have no official duties this evening.

They are due to fly by helicopter tomorrow to Asni, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains to see the work being done by the charity Education For All, which helps provide an education for girls aged 12 to 18 in rural parts of the country.

Meghan is expected to take part in a Henna ceremony and the couple will then watch a secondary school football match.

The pair will then attend a formal reception hosted by the British Ambassador in Rabat.

Their itinerary on Monday starts with a visit to the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports, which helps support children with special needs.

There they will watch a riding demonstration and attend a horse-grooming session with some of the kids.

They will then go to Villa Des Ambassadors, which teaches disadvantaged children how to cook traditional recipes and will meet disabled kids who work in a specially-designed restaurant.

Finally they will visit a market run by social entrepreneurs and meet young people.

Security fears had been sparked for the royal visit after riots erupted in Rabat earlier this week during a march by teachers demanding more pay.

Royal protection officers are said to be worried about the situation and have banned the royal couple from walkabouts.

The tour comes days after Meghan enjoyed a baby shower in New York with pals including Serena Williams.

Meghan's trip to the Big Apple was criticised in some quarters after the lavish visit was said to have cost £330,000.

Princess Diana's former private secretary Patrick Jephson described the private visit as "pretty unedifying".

Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, first visited Morocco in 1995 and then again in 2011 with the Duchess of Cornwall.