Prince William heads to Persian Gulf for visit spotlighting his growing diplomatic profile

Prince William will get another chance to show his diplomatic chops when he heads Sunday to another strategic and touchy region of the world – the Persian Gulf – on a four-day mission representing Britain.

The Duke of Cambridge, 37, will be in Kuwait and Oman starting Sunday and concluding Wednesday, for a visit at the request of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

This will be the prince's first official visit to both countries, according to Kensington Palace, which described the trip in lyrical terms in a statement.

"From the modern capitals of Kuwait City and Muscat to the vast Kuwaiti deserts and stunning wadis in the Omani mountains, the visit will take in both countries’ unique cultures, their beautiful landscapes, and diverse communities," the palace statement said.

This is only the latest foreign trip for William, who is increasingly taking on more responsibilities representing the country and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, now that the 93-year-old monarch has given up long-haul travel abroad.

William's father, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, also has taken on more duties in support of the queen, and his son, second in line to the throne, is stepping up to help carry the royal load. 

Their contributions are even more welcome now that Charles' younger brother, Prince Andrew, 59, has been banished from the royal spotlight. The Duke of York stepped back "for the foreseeable future" from all royal duties in the wake of his disastrously unconvincing BBC interview about his long friendship with a convicted American sex offender. 

William's Persian Gulf trip means he will miss a glittering reception the queen is hosting at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for visiting NATO leaders, including President Donald Trump, who will be meeting the queen for the third time. William's wife, Duchess Kate of Cambridge, will be there, as will Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall.

Andrew will not be there. Neither will Prince Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, who are on a six-week family-time break from royal duties after the birth in May of their baby, Archie. 

Will and Kate, 37, just completed a successful four-day trip to Pakistan in October. In 2018, the duke visited three countries in Africa in September and went to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan in June.

Since 2015, he's been sent to Japan, China, India, Bhutan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

That doesn't count visits to the major European countries; the United States and Canada; and Australia, New Zealand and tiny islands in the South Pacific that are members of the Commonwealth.

As he did during other recent official visits, both solo and accompanied by Kate, William will be focusing on certain themes, including education, youth empowerment and life skills, environmental issues, and defense links with the region, where Oman and Kuwait are considered key partners of the United Kingdom. 

His itinerary includes a visit to Kuwait City’s wetlands at the Jahra Nature Reserve, to a Kuwait cultural center, and to an Omani marine science center. He will attend a reception in a traditional Kuwaiti tent in the desert and lunch at Kuwait's Bayan Palace.

He will meet with the top royals in both countries, the Emir of Kuwait and the Sultan of Oman, and also hang out with some Omani fishermen on the beach to talk about fishing and Oman's marine conservation efforts.     

The visit falls during the 120th anniversary year of the signing of the 1899 Treaty of Friendship between Kuwait and the U.K., so William's presence is intended to help mark an important moment in U.K.-Kuwait history. 

In Kuwait, the prince is scheduled to join Kuwaiti and British troops undertaking a Desert Warrior exercise.

He'll travel to Musandam in Oman to learn more about the Royal Navy of Oman’s responsibilities monitoring maritime traffic passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, crucial to global maritime traffic.

Throughout, he'll be meeting children and young people, royals and government officials, conservationists and charity advocates.

"The duke is looking forward to visiting both countries for the first time, and continuing to build on an already enduring friendship with the Kuwaiti and Omani people," the palace statement said.