Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, will meet the families of those killed on the Causeway during Fabian when he pays a visit to Bermuda later this month.

The Earl will act as a representative of the Queen on his visit to the Island beginning on Friday, October 24 where he will be shown the damage that the hurricane inflicted.

He will visit the Island at the end of his tour of the Caribbean where he is attending a Duke of Edinburgh awards conference in Barbados.

A spokeswoman for the 39-year-old Earl confirmed he would be visiting the Island for a day-and-a-half.

"The exact details of the visit will be confirmed nearer the time but he is going to Bermuda to view first-hand the devastation caused by Hurricane Fabian," she told The Royal Gazette from her Buckingham Palace office. "He is expected to lay a wreath and meet family members of those killed on the Causeway. He will be a guest of the Governor." Government House also announced the Earl of Wessex would be visiting although Governor Sir John Vereker said: "We have just started to work out the programme, no decisions have been at this stage."

In March this year, the Duchess of Gloucester visited Bermuda with the Scottish Opera while the last major visit to the Island by a member of the Royal Family was by Princess Anne, who spent three days here in October 1999. The Queen last visited in March 1994.

Prince Edward has visited Bermuda once before on an official visit, coming in April 1992 as guest of honour at the annual Peppercorn Ceremony in St. George's. The Earl of Wessex is the third son and youngest child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. He was known as Prince Edward until his marriage, when he was created The Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn.