duchess camilla queen rania© Photo: Getty Images

Duchess Camilla to be reunited with Queen Rania of Jordan during first royal tour in two years

The royal ladies last met in 2013

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
October 26, 2021

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will undertake their first major overseas tour since the pandemic began with a trip to the Middle East.

Clarence House announced that Prince Charles and Camilla have been asked by the Government to visit Jordan and Egypt and will tour the countries from November 16 to 19.

The royal couple will be formally welcomed to Jordan by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania on their first day of engagements.

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During their visit, Camilla will learn about the work of Queen Rania in protecting vulnerable children and mothers, and will take part in a Women of the World event, promoting the empowerment of women.

Meanwhile, Charles will meet humanitarian groups he supports as patron, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Rescue Committee, and he will highlight the nation's role in sheltering 650,000 registered Syrian refugees and more than two million Palestinians.

The royal family have 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, after her father Michael, then a British Airways manager, moved to the capital of Amman in 1984 for work and took his family.

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© Photo: Getty Images

Charles and Camilla in Egypt in 2006

In Egypt, tour highlights include a UK-Egypt reception celebrating the bond between the two counties, which will be staged overlooking the pyramids at the Giza Plateau. The royal couple will also tour the ancient city of Alexandria.

Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary to the prince, said climate change would be one of the main themes of the visit, and other issues would include inter-faith dialogue, female empowerment and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Mr Fitzgerald 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.

"Their royal highnesses' visit to Egypt comes as the UK holds the Cop presidency and Egypt has been nominated to assume the Cop27 presidency in 2022.

"In this decisive decade for climate action, the next 12 months is therefore expected to see a significant co-operation between the UK and Egypt. Indeed, both visits will have a major focus on addressing the climate crisis."

The Prince and his wife last visited Egypt in 2006, while Charles toured Jordan in 2015 and Camilla visited in 2013.

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