King Charles could now visit Canada on his first overseas trip as monarch after Liz Truss ‘objected to him attending Cop-27 climate summit’ in Egypt next month
- King Charles could now travel to Canada on his first overseas trip as monarch
- He was previously said to have wanted to attend the Cop-27 climate summit
- Prime Minister Liz Truss is claimed to have objected to him travelling to Eygpt
King Charles could travel to Canada on his first overseas trip as monarch rather than the Cop-27 climate change summit in Egypt.
The Commonwealth country has emerged as a possible alternative location for the King’s first foreign visit.
It comes after claims Liz Truss had objected to Charles attending Cop-27, being held in November, during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month.
His Majesty, a keen environmentalist, was said to have wanted to deliver a speech to delegates at the climate summit at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
According to The Times, Charles was advised not to attend as ministers want his first overseas trip as monarch to align with the Government’s diplomatic priorities.
It reported that Canada was now ‘top of the list’ of potential locations.
In March, the UK and Canada launched fresh trade negotiations.
These are aimed at building on the agreement Britain struck with Ottawa in 2020 to roll over the terms of trade the two countries had prior to Brexit.
Canada has emerged as a possible alternative location for the King’s first foreign visit as monarch. He and wife Camilla visited the country in May last year
The King was said to have wanted to deliver a speech to delegates at the Cop-27 climate summit in Egypt next month
It has been claimed Liz Truss objected to Charles attending Cop-27 during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month
A senior Government figure told the newspaper: ‘You only get the first overseas trip by a new monarch once and we need to make it count.
‘We are going to be carefully looking at the options in close consultation with Buckingham Palace.’
A trip by Charles to Canada could also include a visit to Washington DC as well as parts of the Caribbean.
France is also said to be under consideration as a possible first overseas trip for the new King, following an invite by President Emmanuel Macron.
The Prime Minister herself was also initially claimed to be planning not to attend Cop-27 next month.
But it has since been reported that she will now stop off in Egypt on her way to a G20 summit in Bali.
There were fears that Ms Truss’s snubbing of the climate gathering could be viewed as her Government turning its back on international climate change action.
Earlier this month, Number 10 said it was ‘ridiculous’ to suggest the PM ‘gives orders’ to the monarch following the reports that Charles had been told not to attend Cop-27.
But, by convention, all overseas official visits by members of the Royal Family are undertaken in accordance with advice from the Government.
John Kerry, who is climate envoy to US President Joe Biden, is claimed to have been angered by the decision for King Charles not to attend.
He had told the BBC last month he would welcome the King’s involvement because he ‘has the ability… to leverage the kind of action we need now on a global basis’.
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