Leaving Kate Behind, Prince William to Visit Earthquake-Stricken New Zealand

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Prince William’s visit to Australia and New Zealand’s disaster areas next week has caught victims by surprise. He’s not only representing the Queen for second time, but he’s also leaving his future bride behind.

After accepting an invitation by the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Australia, Prince William will have a busy schedule over his five-day visit. He’ll be stopping off first at Christchurch, New Zealand, where he’ll attend a memorial conference to commemorate the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed over 160 people last month. Then he’s off to Greymouth, near the mine disaster in Pike River, where 29 miners became trapped by a gas explosion, followed by flood-stricken regions in Queensland and north-west Victoria, Australia.

On his trip to New Zealand last year, he represented the Queen in Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, and officially opened the supreme court building, before going on a private trip to Australia. His upcoming visit is far from a vacation, though.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of British royal weddings)