British heir apparent, Prince Charles, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, began a historic visit to Egypt on Thursday, following their stay in Jordan. This marks the first overseas trip for the couple after the COVID-19 pandemic and is Charles' first visit to Egypt since 2006.
The British heir and his wife have a busy two-day agenda in Egypt, filled with numerous official meetings and events related to his support for cultural heritage in Egypt, as well as entrepreneurs and women, alongside discussions on climate change, especially in light of Egypt hosting the 2022 climate summit. The visit commenced with an official reception by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his wife, Intisar el-Sisi, at the Ittihadiya Palace. Prince Charles then met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, as per the royal office's reports.
In addition to official engagements, Charles' itinerary includes meetings with artisans in heritage-related professions. He will also attend a meeting with entrepreneurs and female leaders. It is scheduled that he will participate in a British-Egyptian reception celebrating the ties between the two nations, which will take place in the Giza Plateau overlooking the pyramids. At the end of his visit to Egypt, he plans to head to the ancient city of Alexandria in the north of the country.
A statement from the British Embassy noted that Prince Charles has a "deep interest in environmental issues and climate change," and his visit to Egypt comes after Cairo assumed the presidency of the 27th climate summit, following the UK's hosting of the 26th summit. The statement added that during the visit, he would "seize the opportunity to discuss avenues for collaborative action to combat climate change."
In the meantime, the British Ambassador to Cairo, Gareth Bailey, shared a video featuring several Egyptians welcoming Prince Charles and Camilla. The video concluded with a warm message: "Welcome to Egypt, the Mother of the World."
### A Rich History of Visits
Prince Charles' last visit to Cairo was around 15 years ago, specifically in 2006. Prior to that, he had made other visits to the country; the first was in 1981 with Princess Diana as part of their honeymoon, during which they traveled to Hurghada. The visit garnered significant official attention, with former President Anwar Sadat and his wife, Jehan Sadat, welcoming the couple upon their arrival, followed by a reception in honor of the newlyweds.
Prince Charles also visited Egypt in March 1995, meeting with the former Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Jad El-Haq Ali Jad El-Haq, who presented him with a translated copy of the Quran. Additionally, he met with Egypt's Grand Mufti and visited the newly developed Imbaba area.
The year 2006 marked Prince Charles' last official visit to Egypt during a tour that included Saudi Arabia and India, aimed at enhancing dialogue and values of tolerance and understanding among religions. This visit featured multiple meetings and activities, including a lecture he delivered at Al-Azhar University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate, as well as meetings with cultural and religious figures, including Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, who was president of the university at that time.
During this five-day visit, Prince Charles also toured several famous tourist attractions in Egypt and participated in the opening of the British University in Cairo.
