Opening Remarks by Chris Fitzgerald, Deputy Private Secretary for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, regarding Their Royal Highnesses’ upcoming tour to The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt

At the request, and on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall together will visit The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and The Arabic Republic of Egypt from November 16th to the 19th.

The first Royal tour in almost two years will come at a significant moment in the UK’s relationships with both countries. Their Royal Highnesses will first travel to Jordan, where they will celebrate both Jordan’s own centenary and one hundred years of the UK-Jordan bilateral relationship. Their Royal Highness’s 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 twelve months is therefore expected to see a significant cooperation between the UK and Egypt.

Indeed, both visits will have a major focus on addressing the climate crisis. Following shortly after COP26, the visits will be an opportunity to explore how government, business and wider society can support a transition to a more sustainable and greener future.

Related themes for both visits will also include the contributions that young people are making to this future through their creativity, commitment and innovation. The visit will also reflect the significant security and defence relationships that the UK has with both countries, and consider how inter-faith dialogue can foster peace and stability.

Their Royal Highness’s return to Jordan in the country’s centenary year underlines the importance that Her Majesty’s Government places on its close ties with Jordan, which is underpinned by the long-standing relationship between the two Royal Families.

On the first day of engagements in Jordan, Their Royal Highnesses will be formally welcomed by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania at Al Husseiniya Palace. There will also be an opportunity for private discussions that will reflect on wider issues of environment, faith, peace and security.

Recognising Jordan’s tradition of religious freedom, Their Royal Highnesses will visit an early Christian place of worship where The Prince will hold a discussion with faith leaders acknowledging the diverse, tolerant and integrated nature of Jordanian society.

In support of Jordanian efforts to galvanise its economy whilst preserving its cultural heritage, Their Royal Highnesses will visit ancient sites which reflect Jordan’s Roman and Ottoman history. His Royal Highness will see how the Department of Antiquities is working with partners to conserve these extraordinary sites while being trained in modern vocational skills to enable their craftsmanship to compete in the global market.

His Royal Highness will meet humanitarian organisations, including the UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee, of which The Prince has recently become Patron. The International Rescue Committee supports refugees in transitioning from camps to local communities and assists them in finding employment. The Prince will highlight Jordan’s generosity in hosting refugees, including over 650,000 registered Syrian refugees and over 2million registered Palestinian refugees.

In view of His Royal Highness’s commitment to supporting climate action, and following the model of his Sustainable Market’s Initiative, The Prince will hold a discussion with climate scientists and business leaders to explore how to drive the technological innovation required to meet climate targets. The Royal Scientific Society, where the discussion will be held, incubates sustainable start-ups and has recently appointed its first UK-Jordan funded Chair in Sustainability. 

Recognising Jordan’s efforts to tackle youth unemployment, The Prince will also meet organisations supporting entrepreneurship and employment in Jordan.

The Duchess will see the work undertaken by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan to protect vulnerable children and mothers, as well as educate parents about child protection and safeguarding. Her Royal Highness will also visit educational programmes for young children and teenage girls, and participate in a Women of the World (WOW) event that promotes the empowerment of women from all walks of life.

The Prince and The Duchess will then attend a “Centenary Celebration” Reception, to highlight the depth and breadth of this 100 year relationship and look forward to the next century of relations working together for our mutual benefit.

Coming shortly after COP26 and with Egypt nominated as COP27 President, the visit to Egypt will be an opportunity to consider the importance of climate action across all sections of society, including government, business, faith and civil society.

On arrival, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will meet with President Sisi and First Lady Entissar Amer at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, to be formally welcomed to Egypt.

Recognising The Prince’s long-standing interest in advancing greater understanding between faith and communities, Their Royal Highnesses will then meet with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar. The Prince will discuss with the Grand Imam and young scholars issues including religious tolerance and the role of faith in stewarding our environment. This visit will serve to further strengthen religious ties between the UK and Egypt.

Continuing His Royal Highness’s work to support local efforts to preserve cultural heritage, The Prince will meet craftspeople and conservationists, celebrating traditional crafts. The British Council, of which The Prince is Vice Patron, will showcase their support for preserving cultural heritage, as well as the skills of local artisans.

Over the last two years, The Prince’s Sustainable Markets Initiative has brought together hundreds of global CEOs to encourage them to make their businesses ready for a sustainable future. In Egypt and with the support of the British Embassy, His Royal Highness, will continue this effort by bringing together young entrepreneurs with major companies from the private sector, to discuss the opportunities for growing green, innovative business.

Meanwhile, The Duchess will focus on supporting women’s empowerment by listening to the stories of female heads of household who are developing innovative ways to support themselves and their families through sustainable projects. Her Royal Highness will also meet volunteers at a local animal welfare charity, and the animals who they support.

Their Royal Highnesses will together attend a UK-Egypt reception to celebrate the bond between the two countries, to be held overlooking the Pyramids at the magnificent Giza Plateau.

On the final day of the Tour, Their Royal Highnesses will visit the ancient city of Alexandria, for events that will recognise the continuation of traditions of learning and culture.

This programme will allow Their Royal Highnesses the opportunity to celebrate Egypt’s ancient culture and spiritual significance, while also looking ahead to a modern Egypt, embracing a greener future.