This is a list of official overseas visits and Commonwealth tours made by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince William, as a child, first traveled with his parents on official visits and tours. Now he is one of the United Kingdom's most important ambassadors; sometimes the Duke travels overseas as a representative of the UK. His wife, Catherine, began undertaking official trips upon joining the British royal family in 2011, and has since accompanied him on visits and conducted her own overseas engagements on behalf of the UK. The Prince and Princess also undertake tours of Commonwealth realms, of which William's father is king, as his representatives or as members of the realm's royal family.