Liz Truss will attend Cop27 next month - but without King Charles

King Charles III receives Prime Minister Liz Truss in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace on Sep 18, 2022 - Kirsty O'Connor/Getty
King Charles III receives Prime Minister Liz Truss in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace on Sep 18, 2022 - Kirsty O'Connor/Getty
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The Prime Minister Liz Truss will attend Cop27 next month - but without King Charles.

Unlike her predecessor Boris Johnson - who became an enthusiastic advocate for the cause of net zero - Ms Truss is thought to be more sceptical of the green agenda.

This led to some critics suggesting she might shun the climate conference in Egypt next month.

But Ms Truss will travel to Cop27, according to The Sun.

King Charles will not attend despite his passionate commitment to environmental issues after an intervention by the Prime Minister.

Ms Truss had objected to him attending the gathering during an audience at Buckingham Palace in September.

Whist Neither Downing Street nor the Palace would comment, and asked if she told the King not to be in Egypt, Ms Truss said: "I am not going to reveal what is discussed in our meetings."

But a No 10 source said it was "ridiculous" to suggest that the Prime Minister "gives orders" to the monarch.

Nevertheless by convention all overseas official visits by members of the Royal family are undertaken in accordance with advice from the Government.

Before he ascended the throne, there had been speculation, that, as Prince of Wales, he would go to Egypt having attended the Cop26 summit in Glasgow the previous year.

It is understood however that after he sought advice from the Government it was agreed that this would not be the right occasion for Charles to make his first overseas visit as sovereign.

The Sunday Times quoted a senior royal source as saying: "It is no mystery that the King was invited to go there. He had to think very carefully about what steps to take for his first overseas tour, and he is not going to be attending Cop."

The source said the decision was made on the Government's advice and was "entirely in the spirit of being ever-mindful as King that he acts on Government advice".

A No 10 spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on meetings between the Prime Minister and the King."

However, a Government source said the Palace and the Government "considered separately and then agreed jointly" that there might be "more suitable options" for the King's first overseas visit.

Despite not attending the event in person it is understood that the King still hopes to be able to contribute in some form to the conference.

Charles and his elder son William, the then-Duke of Cambridge, both spoke at last year's Cop26 event while the Queen recorded an opening address urging the assembled world leaders to take action on climate change.