Prince Charles flies out to Middle East for four-day tour after getting permission from the Queen in last-minute phone call as she recovers from ‘sprained back’
- Charles understood to have discussed with Queen the trip to Jordan and Egypt
- It is understood he was reassured by her that the official visit, should go ahead
- Is hoped decision will reassure the public about the state of his mother’s health
The Prince of Wales has flown out on a four-day tour of the Middle East having spoken to the Queen and been given her blessing.
Charles is understood to have discussed the trip to Jordan and Egypt on behalf of the British government – which is due to start today – following his mother’s recent ill-health and after her last-minute decision to pull out of attending the Cenotaph on Sunday after spraining her back.
It is understood that he was reassured by her that the official visit, which has been designed to strengthen bi-lateral relations in the region, should go ahead.
‘The conversation is understood to have taken place over the weekend by telephone,’ a source said.
The Prince of Wales has flown out on a four-day tour of the Middle East having spoken to the Queen and been given her blessing
It is hoped that the prince’s decision to go ahead with the tour with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, may also reassure a nervous public about the head of state’s health.
The Queen, 95, was last seen on an official engagement in public on October 19 and has been forced to cancel all public engagements after being admitted to hospital overnight for what Buckingham Palace has only described as ‘preliminary tests’.
She has only undertaken ‘light duties’, including virtual audiences, after being advised by doctors to undertake a prolonged period of rest.
She had, however signalled her intention to attend the official Remembrance Sunday commemorations – described by one royal aide as the ‘most inked in’ commitment in her diary.
Charles is understood to have discussed the trip to Jordan and Egypt on behalf of the British government – which is due to start today – following his mother’s recent ill-health and after her last-minute decision to pull out of attending the Cenotaph on Sunday after spraining her back
It is understood that he was reassured by her that the official visit, which has been designed to strengthen bi-lateral relations in the region, should go ahead. Above: Charles and the Queen in April
Less than two hours before she was expected to arrive, however, Buckingham Palace announced her ‘regret’ at having to pull out after spraining her back.
It was only the sixth time she has missed the event – her other absences due to pregnancy or being away on tour – and the first time in 22 years.
Palace aides were at pains to stress that her condition was in no way connected with her hospitalisation last month and no-one ‘was more disappointed’ than the Queen herself at the unexpected turn of events.
Charles and Camilla will arrive in Amman today on the first leg of their trip to highlight the close relationship between British and Jordan.
Charles and Camilla (pictured together at the COP26 climate summit earlier this month) will arrive in Amman today on the first leg of their trip to highlight the close relationship between British and Jordan
They will mark the centenary of its foundation as well as highlighting trade, economic and cultural links, and the effect of the climate change crisis on the kingdom.
Jordan is seen as a haven of stability in the region and one where religious tolerance flourishes.
Charles’s visit to Jordan will also underpin security cooperation and the long-standing relations between the two royal families.
On the first day of engagements, the couple will be welcomed by King Abdullah and Queen Rania at Al Husseiniya Palace.
Later in the week Charles, 73, and Camilla 74, will fly to Egypt where they will enjoy a visit to the pyramids.
The couple are set to pack in more than 30 official engagements between them during the four-day trip.