Crown Princess Mary tours villages hit by devastating cyclones in Fiji days before Australia return

Crown Princess Mary has been keeping busy during her tour of the South Pacific, days before returning to Australia.

The Danish royal spent two days in Vanuatu on Sunday and Monday, before moving to nearby Fiji.

Her week-long visit to the region is focused on consequences of climate change to island communities.

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The islands of Vanuatu and Fiji belong to the group of small developing states that are increasingly experiencing the consequences of global climate change.

The Crown Princess spoke at the University of the South Pacific on her final day in Vanuatu, praising the students for their work in getting the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a resolution on the issue.

Wearing a dress by Australian-brand Zimmermann, Mary said: "Every country in the world is now impacted by climate change. Some countries and populations are harder hit than others.

"It is well-known that climate change exacerbates existing challenges, such as: food security, water scarcity, health impacts, internal displacement and existing structures of inequality in our societies, for example gender inequality.

"It is a fact that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by natural disasters.

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"My visit to your country is a short one however, it doesn't take long, after looking and listening, to get an impression of how devastating these events are; socially, economically and environmentally.

"It reaffirms that we all have a responsibility to do what is right, what we can and to work together to support and contribute to global efforts to secure a sustainable future for generations to come."

The Crown Princess then moved to Fiji where she received a traditional welcome in Suva.

Mary was dressed in a colourful printed dress by Italian brand La DoubleJ and was decked out with traditional costume during the ceremony

She visited the tent village of Nabavatu on Fiji's second largest island, Vanua Levu. The village houses internally displaced people in the wake of the cyclone that hit the country in 2020.

While there, the Crown Princess spoke about the impact recent cyclones had had.

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"It is difficult to imagine the fear that you have experienced in this part of the world, the despair in the aftermath, the energy and strength that it takes to rebuild and unite again," she said.

"Since being here in Fiji, the whole delegation has felt an extreme resilience, a strong belief system, a power of human spirit and a sense of community to look after each other, to be there for each other."

Her first full day in Fiji concluded with a reception and dinner with Fiji's President and Prime Minister, at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

Mary wore a full-length gown by budget retailer H&M from its 2016 Conscious Collection.

Today, she will get on board a traditional sailing vessel.

On Friday, Crown Princess Mary will be in Sydney for an event with Danish business representatives who are involved in the green transition in Australia.

The Crown Princess will also visit a number of Danish-led projects related to sustainable construction and transport.

It will be Mary's first official visit to Australia in 10 years.