London  - Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the states of Slovenia and Slovakia for the first time next month, Buckingham Palace announced in London Thursday.

The queen, 82, and her husband, 87, will travel to Slovenia on October 21 for a two-day trip at the invitation of the country's president, Danilo Turk.

The couple will then travel to Slovakia on October 23 for a meeting with President Ivan Gasparovic. (dpa)