The Prince of Wales has arrived in Tokyo, Japan, ahead of the Ceremony of Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday. The royal looked dapper as he posed in full uniform ahead of the special events, which will take place during Tuesday and Wednesday.
Around 200 foreign heads of state and dignitaries are due to attend the ceremony, followed by a banquet hosted by the Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.
© Photo: RexPrince Charles will be in good company, joined by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and King Carl Gustaf and daughter Princess Victoria. However, it will be a solo appearance for the British royal as wife Camilla has stayed behind in the UK.
Camilla, 71, has previously admitted she has a fear of flying and therefore, doesn't always accompany her husband on overseas visits. The Duchess cut short a visit to Australia in April 2018, with a Clarence House spokesman saying at the time: “The Duchess does not like flying but I think she has to sometimes embrace that fear."
© Photo: RexGiven the short duration of the trip and the long-haul return flights to Japan, Camilla's absence is understandable, but she also has prior engagements that are very close to her heart this week.
The Duchess will open the new Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and Brownsword Therapies Centre at the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) on Tuesday. Camilla became President of the Royal Osteoporosis Society in 2011, after becoming involved in 1997, following the deaths of her mother and grandmother as a result of the condition. Following the opening, she'll join a reception to mark the 20th anniversary of the Forever Friends Appeal, the charity for the RUH. On Thursday, the Duchess is also attending a tea reception in London, to mark the seventh anniversary of the National Literacy Trust's Books Unlocked programme.
