Prince William, Kate Middleton may visit Australia to support bushfire victims

Prince William and Kate Middleton may be heading to bushfire-ravaged Australian coastal towns on their next royal visit to meet the survivors and firefighting volunteers.

Prince William and Kate Middleton who are "shocked and deeply saddened" by the devastation, will be making the trip to spur more international financial support for survivors and volunteers. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to issue a formal invitation this week, after weeks of preliminary negotiations between his government and Kensington Palace, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

William and Kate recently spoke about the Australian bushfire crisis in a statement they issued on the Australia Day celebrated on Sunday, January 26.

"Wishing all of our Australian followers a happy Australia Day. This year we pay tribute to the incredible strength and resilience of all the Australian people and communities who have been impacted by the devastating bushfires," read their statement that the Kensington Palace shared alongside a picture of them meeting a koala on their last visit.

The royal couple earlier also stated on Sunday, January 5: "We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia."

During the royal tour, the parents-of-three are expected to visit New South Wales and Victoria, among other states including South Australia. Kensington Palace, the royal residence of the Cambridges, has not yet made a statement about the speculated tour. It is also not clear whether the couple's three children- Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, 21 months, will accompany them on the tour.

The tour will mark the first visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the country since 2014. However, it will be William's fifth royal visit to the country, including the one he made in 2011 on behalf of the royal family to tour flood-stricken Queensland and Victoria.

The royal couple has expressed grief over the death and destruction brought upon the country by the bushfire crisis. According to the outlet, they had expressed immediate interest in visiting the country but did not want to divert resources to a royal tour in the immediate aftermath of the emergency.