EXCITEMENT is growing following the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the county.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making their first official visit here since they tied the knot in May, stopping in Brighton, Peacehaven, Chichester and Bognor.

While in Peacehaven, Harry and Meghan will visit the Joff youth centre in Roderick Avenue where they will meet excited young people and talk about their campaign on mental health and wellbeing.

The couple, along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are running their own campaign – Heads Together – which aims to rid the stigma around mental health.

Atiya Gourlay, equality and participation manager at East Sussex County Council’s children’s services, is the host of the royal visit to Peacehaven.

She found out Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, were coming more than a month ago – but had to keep it under wraps until Thursday.

Ms Gourlay said: “They could have gone to see anywhere, so it’s very exciting for the young people.

“We were approached by the Lord Lieutenant’s office four or five weeks ago saying the Palace was doing a visit and is there anything we were doing around mental health, and we already had this planned for the date they were coming. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

“The young people are looking forward to it.

“It’s a really important event – this will help get what they are doing on the map.”

Youngsters aged 12 to 19 will be present when the royals are in town, with plans for the youth centre’s Takeover Challenge in November taking place.

They will discuss strategies for supporting young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing and “encouraging adult decision makers to continue to give priority to this issue in the county”.

The Prince has previously spoken out about his own battle with mental health issues, saying he sought counselling to help him deal with the death of his mother, Diana.

He said when she died, when he was aged 12, he struggled to open up about it for the next 20 years.

Libby Russell, East Sussex’s UK Youth Parliament representative, was surprised about the news, but is delighted.

The 16-year-old, from Hailsham, said: “I was incredibly surprised to hear about the visit from the Duke and Duchess.

“It’s very exciting to know that our mental health campaign, something the Youth Cabinet has been working on passionately for the past three years, is being recognised on such a high platform.”