Prince William and Kate Middleton to tour bushfire-ravaged Australian towns

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on the cusp of announcing a tour of bushfire-ravaged towns in Australia.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are heading to Australia to tour bushfire-ravaged coastal towns, according to reports.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, talks have been under way between the federal government and Kensington Palace for weeks, with an official invitation from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to formalise the deal expected in the coming days.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to tour Australia. Picture: AFP Photo/Pool/Money Sharma

The royal couple last visited Australia in 2014. Picture: Gregg Porteous

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among the many royals – including the Queen and Prince Philip and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – who issued personal statements last month expressing their sympathies at the devastating bushfire crisis in Australia.

“We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia,” the statement said.

Our followers in Australia can find out the latest information on the fires by following the accounts on this list👇https://t.co/4fB5iGYSFr

As the devastating fires continue our thoughts remain with those impacted and those working heroically to fight them.

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 2, 2020

This new tour will mark William and Kate’s first joint trip to Australia since 2014, and William’s fifth overall.

It’s understood their itinerary will include towns along the east coast of Victoria and New South Wales, but no details have yet been confirmed. It’s also not yet clear whether the couple’s three children - Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1 - will join their parents on the trip.

It’s hoped the popular high-profile royal couple’s visit will help provide a significant international fundraising boost for the recovery effort.

Australia’s horror bushfire season, which began in spring last year, has resulted in more than 18 million hectares of land being burnt, 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) destroyed and saw at least 34 people and an estimated one billion animals killed.

RFS, NSW Fire and Rescue, NPWS officers and local residents fight a bushfire encroaching on properties near Kioloa, between Bateman's Bay and Ulladulla, south of Sydney, in December 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Prince William visited the flood damaged areas of Queensland and Victoria in March 2011, while Prince George accompanied the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April 2014.

William also made it to New Zealand in April last year in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

The Duke of Cambridge’s first visit to Australia was when he was nine months old when he joined Prince Charles and Diana’s official tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983.