Prince Charles travels to Oman to attend the first of three days of mourning for Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said before jetting back in time for crunch Prince Harry Sandringham summit
- The sultan ruled Middle Eastern country for 50 years, and died at the age of 79
- Members of the Royal Family have met the sultan on a variety of occasions
- Prince Charles has jetted out to Oman to attend the first three days of mourning
Prince Charles is travelling to Oman to attend the first three days of mourning for Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said before jetting back in time for the crunch Prince Harry Sandringham summit.
Yesterday, it was announced the reclusive leader, who ruled the Middle Eastern country for 50 years, had died at the age of 79, reportedly from colon cancer.
The Prince of Wales, who has met the sultan on numerous occasions, has flown out to pay his respects at a condolence ceremony at Al Alam Palace, alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has also jetted out to the country.
It is expected that Charles will return in time for the high stakes crisis summit at Sandringham on Monday.
Sultan Qaboos is seen with Prince Charles and Princess Diana as they embarked on a royal tour of the Gulf States in November 1986
The Queen, also paid tribute to the sultan, in a statement she said: ‘I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
‘His devotion to Oman, to its development and to the care of his people was an inspiration. ‘He will be remembered for his wise leadership and his commitment to peace and understanding between nations and between faiths.
‘He was a good friend of my family and of the United Kingdom, and we are thankful for all he did to further strengthen the bond of friendship between our countries.
‘My State Visit to Oman in 2010 remains a cherished memory.’
Mr Johnson has arrived in the capital Muscat, and will be alongside the Prince of Wales, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, during the ceremony.
Western-backed Qaboos had ruled the Gulf Arab state since he took over in a bloodless coup in 1970 with the help of Oman’s former colonial power Britain. Pictured: The Queen with Qaboos in 2010
Downing Street said the Prime Minister will meet the new Sultan – Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said – and other senior members of the Omani government.
The sultan’s death comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East after Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport last week.
The sultan will be succeeded by his cousin and Oman’s culture minister Haitham bin Tariq, who was sworn in as the new leader at the Royal Family Council in Muscat yesterday.
‘Haitham bin Tariq was sworn in as the new sultan of the country… after a meeting of the family which decided to appoint the one who was chosen by the sultan,’ the government confirmed.
Sultan Qaboos, the longest-reigning leader of the modern Arab world, was unmarried and had no children, and left no apparent heir.
Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said in Oman in 2010
According to the Omani constitution, the royal family had three days to determine the successor and if they failed to agree, the person chosen by Qaboos in a letter addressed to the family would be the successor.
Most experts had expected the throne to go to Asad bin Tariq, another cousin, who was appointed deputy prime minister for international relations and cooperation affairs in 2017 in what was seen as a clear message of support.
In his first speech after he was sworn in at the Royal Family Council in Muscat today, Haitham bin Tariq pledged to follow the non-interference foreign policy of the late Sultan Qaboos that made the kingdom an important regional broker.
He also expressed support for ‘our country’s foreign policy of peaceful living among nations and peoples… and not interfering in the internal affairs of others, respecting nations’ sovereignty and international cooperation.’
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