Royal Tour to Jordan and Egypt

At the request of the British Government, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have visited The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and The Arab Republic of Egypt.

Jordan

On arrival in Jordan, Their Royal Highnesses were welcomed to Al-Husseiniya Palace by His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania.

His Royal Highness had a private bilateral meeting with His Majesty, while The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Queen Rania Family and Children Centre (QRFCC) with Her Majesty. The QRFCC was established in 2005 by the Jordan River Foundation to offer child protection activities to families from Jordanian, Palestinian and Syrian origins. Today the centre offers holistic services that aim to combat child abuse and strengthen families across Jordan.

Next, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Elijah’s Hill and the Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ, Juwafat al-Kafrayn. After being greeted at Elijah’s Hill by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Their Royal Highnesses walked around the base of Elijah’s Hill, where it is believed that Elijah ascended to heaven in the 9th century BC.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall began day two of the Royal visit to Jordan at Umm Qais, the site of the ancient city of Gadara which dates back to the 3rd century BC.

Perched on an imposing hilltop, the ancient settlement allowed Their Royal Highnesses to view the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee.

They were joined by Jordan’s Princess Dana Firas, a global advocate for heritage protection.

Princess Dana highlighted the Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and early Muslim history of the site, and during the visit The Prince of Wales planted a tree to symbolise the UK-Jordanian partnership and in celebration of the centenary anniversary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Next, The Prince met families at Nuzha Community Centre, which provides a safe space for refugees to meet, exchange ideas, engage in community life and strengthen their sense of belonging.

His Royal Highness, who was announced as the International Rescue Committee’s first UK Patron in January, heard about the experiences of refugees.

Later, The Prince joined HRH Prince Hassan and HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan at the Royal Scientific Society. Their Royal Highnesses took part in a discussion on green investment and sustainability-related innovation in Jordan.

The Duchess meanwhile received a lovely welcome at the Princess Taghreed Secondary Girls School, where she met students who were taking part in activities before Her Royal Highness attended Women of the World event.

Egypt

In Egypt, Their Royal Highnesses first travelled Al-Ittihadiya Palace to meet The President and First Lady of Egypt. The Prince had a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and The Duchess met with First Lady Entissar Amer.

Next, Their Royal Highnesses visited the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo and The Prince spoke to young people studying at the religious institution, telling them to remember all “we have in common, not what divides us”.

The Prince also attended a private interfaith reception with the Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, accompanied by the Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, Dr Samy Fawzy.

The Duchess of Cornwall meanwhile met women and volunteers at Ezbet Kheirallah.

The British Council started work with the Ezbet Kheirallah community in 2017 through the Active Citizens programme, a youth social leadership training programme that promotes intercultural dialogue and community-led social development.

In Beit Al Razaz, The Prince of Wales saw how the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation (EHRF) documents and preserves treasures of Mamluk geometry of Cairo’s minbars.

His Royal Highness met young craftspeople from the EHRF and The Jameel School. Supported by the The Prince’s Foundation, The Jameel School teaches young Egyptians classes in traditional Islamic geometry, drawing, colour harmony and arabesque studies.

Later, Their Royal Highnesses visited the historic Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza. Both the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx date to c.2600 BC – the Pyramid is the oldest in Giza and the largest in Egypt!

In the evening, Their Royal Highnesses attended a UK-Egypt reception. The guests represented a cross section of Egyptian society, including Egyptian government ministers and officials, the private sector, military, film and media, and other partners with links to the British Embassy.