Royal tour: Will the kids be coming to Australia?

Wills and Kate will visit to show their support after the devastating bushfires and the big question is will they bring their children?

Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to return to Australia, six years after their first tour here together, to visit the bushfire-ravaged regions of the country.

A royal visit will help generate more international financial support for survivors and volunteer firefighters, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, and preliminary negotiations between the Morrison government and Kensington Palace have been under way for weeks.

The royal couple have been distressed by the death toll, destruction of thousands of homes and widespread loss of flora and fauna during the summer disaster.

“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 Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrote in an Instagram post on their official account in January.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event. We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.”

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge quickly expressed an interest in visiting, but didn’t want to divert resources to a royal tour in the immediate aftermath of the emergency.

The royal tour will mark Prince William’s fifth visit to Australia, and the couple’s second, with initial reports suggesting that the royals are expected to visit New South Wales and Victoria.

However, planning is not finalised, and other states including South Australia may be added.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo during the 2014 royal tour. Picture: Taronga Zoo

While they brought a then-baby Prince George with them in 2014, it’s not clear if George, now 6, and his sister Princess Charlotte, 4, and brother Prince Louis, who is nearly 2, will also make the trip down under.

Prince William first visited Australia as a nine-month-old in 1983, with his parents Prince Charles and Diana, the Princess of Wales.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte have travelled with their parents on official overseas visits in the past, but the Duke and Duchess left all three of their children behind in October when visiting Pakistan.

It’s unclear whether Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will accompany the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their tour Down Under. Picture: Kensington Royal

Security concerns were high when the couple visited the South Asian country, reportedly influencing their decision to leave the kids at home.

Because Prince George and Princess Charlotte are both in school at Thomas’s Battersea, this could influence any decision to bring them, especially if the visit coincides with the school term.

Kensington Palace are yet to comment on the visit, but an announcement is expected within weeks provided there are no last-minute changes to their schedule.