The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Victoria Falls

The Duchess of Edinburgh visited one of the world’s natural wonders in Zambia and paid tribute to those who fell in the First World War.

The Duchess of Edinburgh is on her last day of this week’s official visit to Zambia. Over the past few days, the Duchess has met with various organisations and the President. Yesterday, however, proved that the animal kingdom has no boundaries for actual royalty, as the Duchess was awoken in her tent by… some droppings.

According to Hello!, after a night of camping in a tent, the Duchess arrived with her entourage aboard a Cessna turboprop aeroplane known as “the Land Cruiser of the sky,” and was greeted with traditional dances. The night was not so uneventful, as a hippopotamus reportedly came “no nearer if it had been sitting on the chair outside her front door.”

There was also a case of an elephant leaving excrement during the night, which humorously shows that the animal kingdom does not show deference to the world’s human royalty.

In Livingstone, the Duchess of Edinburgh first visited the Victoria Falls Cenotaph, where The Last Post was heard before a moment of silence. Sophie then laid a posy of flowers in memory of those lost in the First World War.

Afterwards, the Duchess took in the scenic atmosphere of Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “The Smoke that Thunders” — the traditional name for Victoria Falls. Sophie reflected on the immense roar of the Zambezi River as it plunges into a series of basalt gorges.

In 1855, Scottish explorer David Livingstone was the first European to view the falls, which he named after Queen Victoria. It has since been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the falls jointly managed by Zambia and Zimbabwe as a transboundary natural heritage site.

After a tour of the site, the Duchess also had the opportunity to greet some tourists.

Following her time at Victoria Falls, the Duchess of Edinburgh visited Maramba Primary School, where young people take part in sports and recreational activities delivered by Sport in Action, a Zambian NGO that uses sport and recreation as tools for development in schools and communities.

During the visit, Sophie joined pupils and program coordinators, observing activities and hearing how sport is driving positive social change, promoting inclusion, and strengthening community development. She also learned about the organisation’s work to empower young people and support healthier, more active communities through sport.

Founded in 1998, Sport in Action was Zambia’s first sports-focused NGO. Today, its programs reach thousands of children and young people across 12 districts.