Prince William, Catherine to visit Pacific islands

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pass along The Mall as part of a four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration. Photo / AP

Prince William and his wife Catherine will visit the Pacific islands of Solomon and Tuvalu in September as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

St James's Palace has confirmed the dates for the visit, which will also include Singapore and Malaysia.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, however, will not be visiting Australia or New Zealand.

Instead, William's father and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, will visit the two countries later this year, most likely in November. His wife Camilla will accompany him.

Other senior members of the royal family are visiting Commonwealth countries this year, while the Queen and Prince Philip are making special visits throughout the United Kingdom.

William and Catherine will visit Singapore from September 11 to 13 and travel on to Malaysia where they will tour Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, Borneo from September 13 to 15.

The visit to the Solomon Islands will be held from September 16 to 18 and the final stop will be the tiny nation of Tuvalu from September 18 to 19.

A St James's Palace spokesman said further details about the tour would be released later.

Catherine has already revealed that William has been practising his dance moves ahead of their trip to the Solomon Islands, a former British protectorate off the coast of Australia.

The Duchess spoke about the Duke's special preparations when the royal couple met the Solomon Islands' governor general Sir Frank Kabui at a reception last month following a Diamond Jubilee thanksgiving service.

During the event at the Guildhall, William said: "We're extremely excited. Both of us have never been anywhere near there."

- AAP