Harry and Meghan touch down in Casablanca kicking off their royal visit to Morocco

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Morocco tonight at the start of a colourful three-day tour.

The royal couple flew into Casablanca on a commercial flight to be met by Guard of Honour and the British Ambassador Thomas Reilly before being driven 90-minutes to the capital Rabat where they are staying as guests of Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The duke and duchess were two hours late for their welcoming ceremony following the knock-on effects of an earlier delay to their scheduled plane which flew from the UK.

In darkness Harry inspected a sabre carrying guard of honour from the Auxiliary Forces, dressed in their pristine white uniforms and formed in two rows.

The heavily pregnant duchess walked behind her husband as he looked over the troops who had been patiently waiting for over an hour.

But despite spending a busy few days in New York for her luxury baby shower, which featured a string of A-list celebrities, Meghan looked relaxed and wore a striking red Valentino dress.

Tomorrow Harry, 34, and pregnant Meghan, 37, fly to Ansi in the Atlas Mountains near to Marrakech.

One of the key themes of the short visit is girls education and women’s empowerment - both close to Duchess Meghan’s heart.

It has been reported that the couple has been restricted from walkabouts due to riots in capital city Rabat, where teachers have been taking to the streets over pay and healthcare.

The couple is travelling with an entourage of nine members of staff, which does not include a palace doctor.

But a close source said that “medical provisions have been made” should the duchess, who is more than seven months pregnant, require them.

The Moroccan Royal Palace confirmed last night too that Harry and Meghan will be received by His Majesty The King of Morocco for an Audience on Monday afternoon.

They will also be greeted privately by the Crown Prince Prince Moulay Hassan at the royals Residence.

The couple will also carry out in engagements in the capital Rabat tomorrow evening on Monday before returning home.

A spokesperson for The Duke and Duchess said: ‘Their Royal Highnesses are very much looking forward to the visit and are grateful to their hosts and the British Embassy for arranging such an interesting programme.

“They are particularly pleased that they will have the opportunity to meet so many young Moroccans over the next few days.”

The British Ambassador to Morocco said, “Morocco continues to modernise fast. It has an impressive infrastructure. It is home to Africa’s first TGV.

“Morocco has a strategic vision for development into and with the rest of the African Continent. Casablanca Finance City is designed to attract financial and business service companies to use Morocco as their African hub. OCP is developing fertilisers for use in Sub-Saharan arid and desert conditions.

But Morocco is determined that its modernisation must not be at the expense of its links to its past. So it has used many parts of its traditions as a means of modernisation. Horses have a special significance in Moroccan culture, and, in some places, the mule remains the mainstay of local transport.

“So as Modern Morocco increasingly integrates disabled people into daily life, it is experimenting with equine-therapy programmes for disabled children, disadvantaged youths and young adults with mental illnesses.

“Women have traditionally played a vital role in Moroccan society. A focus on improving access to secondary education for girls (especially in rural areas) and better vocational training for women is recognition that improved education, releasing a woman’s human growth and developmental potential, is essential for sustainable economic growth.

“There is much more to do in this arena. But it is clear that attitudes are changing fast - as demonstrated by the influential role that women are increasingly playing in Modern Morocco’s sporting, social, political, commercial and cultural scenes,” he said.