By Tim Moynihan, Press Association

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will make a nine-day visit to Colombia and Mexico starting later this month, Clarence House said today.

Charles and Camilla, who live in Tetbury, will visit the Latin American countries from October 28 to November 5.

The Prince has visited Colombia just once before - in 1974 as a naval officer on HMS Minerva. He has visited Mexico four times - in 1966, 1970, 1993 and 2002.

The Duchess has visited Mexico privately. This is her first visit to Colombia.

Clarence House said their visit was at the request of the British Government, following invitations from President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon of Colombia and President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico.

"The visit will be a major boost to the bilateral relationship between the UK and these two dynamic and influential nations in Latin America," a spokeswoman said.

They will undertake a broad range of engagements to promote the UK's partnership with both Colombia and Mexico in areas such as combating climate change, improving trade and investment, creating youth opportunities, encouraging corporate social responsibility, preserving historical and cultural links and supporting victims of sexual and domestic violence.

Charles and Camilla will travel to Colombia first, arriving in Bogota on October 28.

The following day, the couple will be received by President Santos and the First Lady at an official welcome ceremony at Casa de Narino, the presidential palace.

President Santos and the First Lady will also host an official banquet in their honour.

Other engagements in Bogota will focus on traditional arts and crafts, historical architecture, organic food and wool, trade and investment and a celebration of the British Council's 75th anniversary in Colombia.

They will also attend a peace and reconciliation ceremony to remember the victims of Colombia's armed conflict. The event, which will take place at the specially constructed Centre for Peace, Memory and Reconciliation, will be an opportunity for the couple to show the UK's support for the Colombian peace process.

Later that day, Camilla will attend a high-level meeting for charities and government representatives working on various initiatives in the field of preventing sexual violence in conflict.