Prince Harry will visit Brazil in March as part of a series of events designed to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Speaking in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, William Hague said the prince's visit was part of a concerted effort to reengage with the region.

“I am now pleased to announce that His Royal Highness Prince Harry will also soon be here, and will attend the GREAT campaign launch event in March," referring to a tourism push for Britain being held in Rio.

"We hope that through this renewed and continued engagement with Brazil to show that we in the UK are open for business with the rest of the world and determined to build our relationships."

The 'GREAT' campaign is part of a drive by the government during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, which marks her 60th year on the throne, and the year London hosts the Olympics.

The launch of the campaign is being held in Rio, the city which will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games after London.

Prince Harry's visit to Brazil could overlap with his brother William's deployment to the Falkland Islands in February. William, a Flight Lieutenant with the RAF, will head to the South Atlantic for six weeks to fly search and rescue helicopter missions.

Hague's visit to Brazil comes at a time of heightened tensions between Argentina and Britain over the sovereignty of the Falklands, with London and Buenos Aires having exchanged terse words in recent weeks.

Speaking in Rio, the foreign secretary said Britain's "diplomatic retreat from your region are over" and promised to strengthen ties with Latin America.

However he said that the British government would be "frank" when it had differences of opinion such as over the Falklands.

"We will always uphold UK sovereignty and the rights of the Islanders to self-determination, while valuing the ability to discuss these issues with Brazil in a framework that respects international law and human rights," he said.