Prince Harry is welcomed by Caribbean marching band as he touches down in Antigua for official tour 

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Prince Harry has arrived in Antigua for a major tour of the Caribbean which will see him celebrate the region's history, achievements and culture. 

Blue skies and blazing sunshine greeted the 32-year-old when he landed for the tour he is 'honoured' to fulfil on behalf of the Queen.

He was wearing a navy suit, white shirt and light blue tie when he touched down on the island and shook hands with the Governor General Sir Rodney Williams at V.C. Bird International Airport in Osbourn. 

The prince will now spend 15 days visiting the Caribbean to mark the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana.

Prince Harry, 32, arrived at V.C. Bird International Airport on Sunday for the first day of an official visit to the Caribbean

The prince will now spend 15 days visiting the Caribbean to mark the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda 

Members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force are seen at V.C Bird International Airport on the first day of Prince Harry's official visit to the Caribbean on November 20, 2016

Harry met the Prime Minister of Antigua, Gaston Browne, on his arrival at V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua on Sunday

The prince smiled when he shook hands with Governor General His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams (right) and looked smart in a navy suit when he landed (left)

Harry's flight, a commercial British Airways service, arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule and taxied to a stop metres away from the runway.

The traditional red carpet was lined with potted palm plants swaying in a strong coastal breeze and leading figures from the island's national life were waiting to greet the prince.

He shook hands with Sir Williams and his wife Lady Williams, Antigua's prime minister Gaston Browne and his wife Maria, and a number of ministers and senior military officers.

The official welcome saw Harry stand to attention as the Antigua and Barbuda national anthem was played and the nation's flag and Harry's royal standard were raised.

A guard of honour made up of a number of forces was nearby and he inspected the troops, stopping to talk to some of the servicemen and women forming two rows in front of him.

He then left in a large motorcade of more than a dozen vehicles and will travel around the island nations on behalf of the Queen and was said to be greatly looking forward to the trip.

His travels will take him to six countries where the Queen is head of state - Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines - and the Commonwealth nation of Guyana.

The trip has been overshadowed in recent weeks by the news Harry is dating American actress Meghan Markle, 35, who is believed to have stayed with the prince at his Kensington Palace home earlier this month. 

Singer Rihanna will headline a concert extravaganza marking Barbados's anniversary and Harry is likely to meet the global superstar and the other performers when the event is held on the country's independence day, November 30.

A Kensington Palace source said: 'Prince Harry has been looking forward to this tour for many months.

Harry arrived after flying with British Airways, but his trip has been overshadowed in recent weeks by the news he is dating American actress Meghan Markle 

Members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force lined up as they waited for Prince Harry to come down from the plane

The Prince spoke to members of the Antigua and Barbuda Force on day one of his 15-day trip to the Caribbean 

'He was honoured when his grandmother the Queen asked him to represent her in these seven countries.

'He has spent the last few weeks preparing for the dozens of engagements he will carry out and is ready to get started.

'While this tour will necessarily have a more formal feel, he's pleased that he'll have plenty of opportunities to meet people from all walks of life. There should be plenty of fun along the way.'

For part of the trip Harry will travel and stay on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight vessel already in the region on counter-narcotics duty and on stand-by for disaster relief.

He will spend six nights on the ship, which has a permanent crew of around 90 and is also a tanker used to refuel other Royal Navy vessels. A similar ship was used to accommodate the Countess of Wessex when she toured the Caribbean in 2012.

An entourage of 10 will join the prince during his trip and some will stay on the RFA Wave Knight for periods.

Highlights of the trip will see Harry joining cricket legend Sir Viv Richards at a sporting event in his home country of Antigua and in Guyana he will visit the impressive Kaieteur Falls.

Prince Harry's visit to the Caribbean marks the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana

Prince Harry met members of Antigua's military after he arrived at the airport for an official visit in Antigua on November 20

The prince then left the airport on Sunday in a large motorcade of more than a dozen vehicles and he will continue the tour tomorrow

Prince Harry visited Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua at the start of his 15 day tour of the Caribbean which he started on Sunday

Prince Harry opened the renovated Clarence House in Antigua on his first day of the 15-day tour of the islands 

Prince Harry delivers a speech during a welcome reception hosted by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, at Clarence House, Antigua 

Outlining some of the themes of the tour, the prince's communications secretary Jason Knauf said: 'Prince Harry will experience first-hand the importance placed on protecting the environment and conservation; including vital turtle conservation projects on the white sands of Nevis, and the replanting of the coral reefs in the seas that surround Grenada.

'His Royal Highness will see how projects across the Caribbean encourage and support young people to thrive, particularly through sport, but also through social projects and the military.

'In addition to this, on Her Majesty's behalf, Prince Harry will unveil a number of dedications to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a global forestry project which invites Commonwealth countries to dedicate indigenous forests to be preserved in perpetuity for future generations.'