Prince William is to go on his first official overseas tour on behalf of the Queen. Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that the 27-year-old Prince, the second in line to the throne, is to travel to New Zealand in January to open the country’s new Supreme Court.

The brief formal visit, which will include engagements in Auckland as well as Wellington, will be followed by a short unofficial visit to Australia.

As well as building Prince William’s ties with New Zealand, the trip is seen as an opportunity to increase his experience as a working member of the Royal Family. Although his main priority is his career as a helicopter pilot — he will shortly embark on the search-and-rescue phase of his training — there is a strategy of gradually increasing his workload of visits and patronages.

Prince William visited New Zealand in a private capacity in 2005 to follow the British and Irish Lions rugby tour. During that trip he performed his first solo engagement representing the Queen by laying a poppy wreath at the Wellington National War Memorial.

Next year’s visit will mark the first time that William has conducted a full formal visit. During his visit to Australia, his first to the country since he was a baby, he will carry out engagements in Sydney and Melbourne.

He previously went to the country at the age of nine months with his parents on their official tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983.

Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, said in a statement that Prince William had asked to visit his country.

During the trip he would learn about issues affecting the nation’s Aborigines and see the site of the devastating bush fires that killed more than 170 people in the area around Melbourne this year.

Mr Rudd said: “The visit originated from a request to the Government of Australia by Prince William to visit the country so as to begin to get to know Australia and its people.”

He added: “During his visit, Prince William will focus on his core interests of supporting servicemen and women, helping young people fulfil their potential, and sustainable development in the light of climate change.

“The Prince will also use the visit to learn more about local indigenous issues and visit the bushfire-ravaged countryside in Victoria.

“Prince William will have the opportunity to meet a cross-section of Australians involved in a variety of projects of interest in both Sydney and Melbourne.”

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