COLOMBO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and the Countess of Wessex will arrive in Sri Lanka at the end of this month to attend the 70th anniversary of the country's independence on Feb. 4, the British High Commission in Colombo said in a statement Thursday.

The royal couple will represent Queen Elizabeth II at the anniversary celebrations.

They will meet participants in "the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award" and young Sri Lankans selected as Queen's Young Leaders, an initiative to recognize and celebrate exceptional young people across the Commonwealth.

Prince Edward is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The Earl and Countess support the queen in her official duties and undertake many public engagements each year in support of a wide range of charities and non-governmental organizations.