Charles and Camilla land in Jordan at start of Middle East tour
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have been greeted by the royal family of Jordan as they begin their tour of the country.
Charles and Camilla arrived in the capital Amman in RAF Voyager, the jet used by ministers and British Royals, and was greeted UK’s ambassador to the country Bridget Brind.
Among the group was flying with the Royals was Stephanie Al-Qaq, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, and Defence Attache Brigadier Jamie Piggott.
The couple left the UK on Sunday, Charles’ birthday, after attending the national remembrance service at the Cenotaph and have been spending private time in Jordan.
A guard of honour lined the red carpet at Queen Alia International Airport and waiting nearby was a fleet of limousines for the royal entourage.
Charles and Camilla have been asked by the government to visit the Middle East country and will also tour Egypt over the next four days.
The overseas visit comes after an eventful period for the royal family, with senior members of the monarchy taking part in the recent COP26 UN climate change conference.
There have also been concerns about the Queen who has had to pull out of several events recently and did not attend the Remembrance Sunday events after suffering a back injury.
RAF Voyager made the journey to the Middle East using lower-carbon fuel, the first RAF plane to be converted to use it.
It can cut a plane’s carbon emissions by as much as 70 to 80 per cent compared to the jet fuel it replaces, over its life cycle.
Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary to the prince, has said climate change would be one of the main themes of the visit, and other issues would include inter-faith dialogue, female empowerment and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.
Mr Fitzgerald said: “The first royal tour in almost two years will come at a significant moment in the UK’s relationship with both countries.
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“Their royal highnesses will first travel to Jordan, where they will celebrate both Jordan’s own centenary and 100 years of the UK-Jordan bilateral relationship.
“Their royal highnesses’ 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 12 months is therefore expected to see a significant co-operation between the UK and Egypt. Indeed, both visits will have a major focus on addressing the climate crisis.”