Prince Charles and Camilla to travel to Middle East on first major royal overseas tour for two years
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will travel to the Middle East on the the first major royal overseas tour in two years, it has been announced.
Clarence House said the couple had been asked by the Government to tour Jordan and Egypt between November 16 and 19, after the coronavirus crisis halted royal visits abroad.
Tackling climate change, a cause long championed by the Queen’s son, will be a key theme of the trip just days after the landmark Cop26 summit of world leaders concludes in Scotland.
Other issues set to feature in the visit include inter-faith dialogue, female empowerment and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.
‘Major focus’ on climate crisis
Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary to the Prince, said: "The first royal tour in almost two years will come at a significant moment in the UK's relationship with both countries.
"Their royal highnesses will first travel to Jordan, where they will celebrate both Jordan's own centenary and 100 years of the UK-Jordan bilateral relationship.”
He said “both visits will have a major focus on addressing the climate crisis”, as Egypt takes the reins from Britain to assume the Cop27 environmental summit presidency in 2022.
The royal family has close ties with many of the ruling families of the Middle East, including Jordan.
The Duchess of Cambridge "loved" living in Jordan as a young child, according to her husband, the Duke of Cambridge. Her father, Michael, then a British Airways manager, moved to the capital of Amman in 1984 for work and took his family.
Busy schedule
The upcoming four-day tour will begin in Jordan, with the Prince of Wales meeting humanitarian groups he supports as patron. He will also highlight the nation's role in sheltering 650,000 registered Syrian refugees and more than two million Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall will learn about the work of Queen Rania, wife of the ruling King Abdullah II, in protecting vulnerable children and mothers, and will take part in a Women of the World event.
In Egypt, highlights include a UK-Egypt reception celebrating the bond between the two countries, overlooking the pyramids at the Giza Plateau. The Prince and Duchess will tour the ancient city of Alexandria and visit Cairo's Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to discuss environmental stewardship.
The couple last visited Egypt in 2006, while the Prince toured Jordan in 2015 and the Duchess visited in 2013.
