Prince William and his bride-to-be Kate Middleton will on Monday carry out their final official engagement before their wedding. Large crowds of well-wishers are expected to greet the couple and wish them good luck, during a day-long visit to Darwen and Blackburn in Lancashire.

William will open a community academy in Darwen, launch an award scheme and the couple will also see a display of sports in a local country park on the edge of Blackburn. The visit, coming just weeks before their wedding at Westminster Abbey is expected to attract a huge media gathering, with TV crews and reporters descending on the area from across the globe.

In recent months the pair have met well-wishers in Anglesey in North Wales, visited their former university St Andrews in Scotland and flown to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Miss Middleton appears to have adapted easily to life in the spotlight and her fashion sense has won her praise and been copied by fans.

During Monday's visit the Prince will officially open the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy where he and his fiancee will meet staff and young people before the launch of the SkillForce Prince's Award.

SkillForce is an education charity which has William as its patron and from summer 2012 it will present the new honour to teenagers who show significant character or make a major contribution to the community in which they live.

Brendan Loughran, principal of the academy, said: "We want all our students to aim high - Prince William and Catherine's visit will inspire them to aim even higher. We will give them a really exciting day in Darwen, showing them how entrepreneurial thinking is securing real improvements."

Later William and Miss Middleton will visit nearby Witton Country Park as part of the Prince's role as patron of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge. The initiative aims to protect permanently 2,012 outdoor recreational spaces across the UK and demonstrate the importance of green spaces for sport.