King Charles III will not travel to the COP27, scheduled for November in Egypt, after the prime minister protested against his attendance, the Sunday Times reported on Saturday night.
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The UK’s new monarch, a keen environmentalist who has just succeeded his mother Elizabeth II, intends to speak during this climate summit (6-18 November), according to the British weekly.
But that plan was thwarted by Liz Truss, who defied him during a personal audience with the King at Buckingham Palace in September.
This information comes at a sensitive time for the prime minister, who has been in office for less than a month and is already in turmoil after budget announcements turned into a financial fiasco.
Some fear Ms Truss is backing down on the country’s climate commitments.
The introduction last week of a bill to amend or repeal hundreds of environmental protection laws inherited from the European Union by the end of 2023 was the straw that broke the camel’s back for pro-environment advocates.
And his cabinet has several ministers who are skeptical about climate neutrality by 2050, as mandated by the Paris Agreement.
According to the Sunday Times, the prime minister will not attend the COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
This summit took place in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021. Elizabeth II, the future King Charles III and their son William were present.
A royal source told the newspaper it was “no secret that the king has been invited to COP27”.
But “he had to think very seriously about the steps he would take for his first tour abroad,” and the climate summit will not be one of them.
In the UK, all official foreign visits by members of the royal family are carried out in line with government advice.