UK government wants Prince William to attend COP27 in place of his father King Charles III.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will not attend the climate change conference COP27, which is due to be held in Egypt next month.
The Palace’s statement seems to be a response to a story in the Sunday Times which claimed Prime Minister Liz Truss had “ordered” the King not to attend the event.
“With mutual friendship and respect there was agreement that the King would not attend,” the Palace stated.
New minister for fisheries and farming Mark Spencer said Prince William should go to COP27 instead as the King now has “other priorities”.
Speaking at a Conservative Environment Network event at the Conservative Conference on Sunday, he said: “I’m not in charge of the king’s diary, luckily. He’s expressed a great deal of interest in the environment in the past, but I think in his new role, as the as the monarch is going to have a lot of other priorities, and I think as he said himself he’s up for others to take up that challenge.”
The minister added: “I’m sure the Prince of Wales will be a huge ambassador for the environment, moving forward.”
Before his accession to the throne last month, the King – then the Prince of Wales – had indicated he would attend the annual event which is close to his heart.
Jonny Dymond, royal correspondent, thinks the King must be personally disappointed given his long decades of passionate environmental campaigning.
But the Palace responded that the idea Charles was uncomfortable was not the case, and he was ever mindful of the sovereign’s role to act on the government’s advice.
However, latest reports have rejected all the claims, confirming that neither King Charles nor his son Prince William will attend the Cop27 climate summit after being advised to stay away by PM Truss.
