Overseas Tours
Overseas Tours
The Duchess of Cornwall visits countries overseas with The Prince of Wales as part of Their Royal Highnesses’s role in supporting Her Majesty The Queen.
The overseas visits are undertaken at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to further British diplomatic interests, raise the UK’s profile in the country visited and highlight British excellence.
The Duchess’s first overseas visit was to the United States of America in November 2005. Their Royal Highnesses first visited Ground Zero, to pay their respects to those killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11th September 2001.
Their Royal Highnesses joined President and Mrs Bush for lunch and dinner at the White House and visited New Orleans to show support for residents affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The Duchess also gave a speech at the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC in her role as President of the National Osteoporosis Society in the UK.
In the year to 31st March 2008, Their Royal Highnesses undertook two main overseas tours.
In November 2007, Their Royal Highnesses visited Uganda and Turkey. The specific themes of the tour was sustainable development, youth opportunity, environmental protection, inter-faith dialogue, military co-operation and corporate social responsibility.
In March 2008, Their Royal Highnesses visited Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Montserrat and Jamaica in the Caribbean for an 11-day tour. Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to the Caribbean was aimed at reinforcing Britain’s ties with important Commonwealth countries. It was also aimed at advancing key British Government priorities in the promotion of sustainable development, environmental protection and youth opportunity.
Countries visited
2009
CANADA: Their Royal Highnesses arrived in St John's, Newfoundland, before travelling to Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa. The theme of the visit to Canada, a Commonwealth Realm, was to pay tribute to the work of the Canadian Armed Services, promote Canadian culture and heritage, and to meet as many Canadians as possible. The Prince and The Duchess also marked Remembrance Day with the Canadian people in Ottawa, 2nd - 12th November 2009. Click here to watch videos from the visit.
FRANCE: The Prince of Wales visits Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day and conducts a number of engagements, 6th June 2009.
GERMANY: Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to Germany, the world’s third biggest economy, focused on the themes of global sustainability, social inclusion and long-term Anglo-German partnership and co-operation, 29th - 30th April 2009.
THE HOLY SEE: Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to The Holy See included an audience with The Pope Benedict XVI as well as a meeting with the Cardinal Secretary of State to discuss, among other things, climate change and inter-faith understanding, 27th April 2009.
ITALY: Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to Italy focused on the key issue of climate change. In Rome, The Prince of Wales delivered a keynote speech at the Chamber of Deputies, and attended a meeting of Italian business leaders on environmental issues and a reception to celebrate and encourage a “Slow Food” culture of local sourcing and organic production. In Venice, Their Royal Highnesses focused on the important issue of urban regeneration. The Prince attended a seminar about the industrial redevelopment of the lagoon before visiting an example of sensitive housing regeneration in the city. Both Their Royal Highnesses visited the magnificently restored La Fenice Opera House, 26th - 29th April 2009.
ECUADOR: The visit to Ecuador focused on climate change and sustainable development. During their stay in Ecuador The Prince and The Duchess made their first-ever trip to the Galapagos Islands to learn about the outstanding research being done to protect this unique biosphere which serves as an indicator for wider global environmental trends. The visit also marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 50th anniversary of the Galapagos National Park, 15th - 17th March 2009.
BRAZIL: Protecting the environment featured prominently during Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to Brazil, especially the problem of tropical deforestation. Youth opportunities and entrepreneurship were the themes of a four-day visit that included engagements in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon and aimed to strengthen the United Kingdom’s relationship with Brazil, 11th - 15th March 2009.
CHILE: Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to Chile focused on the key issues of environmental sustainability and climate change, as well as the wider bilateral relationship between the UK and Chile, including military ties, 8th - 11th March 2009.
2008
FRANCE: TRH visited Paris on Monday 11th November for a private dinner with President Nicholas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni. On Tuesday 11th November Their Royal Highnesses attended the Armistice Day commemorations at the French National Cemetery at Verdun, Monday 10th - Tuesday 11th November.
JAPAN, BRUNEI: TRH visit East Asia. The visit to Japan celebrated the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom and focused on environmental sustainability, including new technologies, and education and heritage. The programme highlighted the UK’s diverse relationship with Japan, including furthering strong economic links.
The visit to Brunei emphasised strong military links with the UK, and included a visit to the Gurkhas of whom His Royal Highness is Colonel-in-Chief, together with educational links and the protection of the Borneo Rainforest in the fight against climate change. The Prince of Wales went on to visit Indonesia without The Duchess of Cornwall, Monday 27th October - Wednesday 5th November 2008.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, ST. LUCIA, MONTSERRAT AND JAMAICA: TRH visit the Caribbean for an 11-day tour. Their Royal Highnesses’ visit to the Caribbean was aimed at reinforcing Britain’s ties with important Commonwealth countries. It was also aimed at advancing key British Government priorities in the promotion of sustainable development, environmental protection and youth opportunity, 4th - 14th March 2008.
2007
UGANDA, TURKEY: TRH visit Uganda and Turkey. The specific themes of the tour were sustainable development, youth opportunity, environmental protection, inter-faith dialogue, military co-operation and corporate social responsibility, 22nd - 29th November 2007
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: TRH visit 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in Banja Luka to present traditional leeks for St David's Day and to pay tribute to British troops working to maintain peace and stability in the region, 1st March 2007
KUWAIT, QATAR, BAHRAIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (Abu Dhabi, Dubai): TRH visit five Gulf States in 10 days. The visit was aimed at strengthening ties with key British allies in the area, 19th - 28th February 2007
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: TRH visit New York and Philadelphia. The Prince of Wales is awarded the 10th Global Environmental Citizen Award in New York, and in Philadelphia, Their Royal Highnesses visited the Mural Arts Programme and attended a concert at the Academy of Music, 27th - 28th January 2007.
2006
PAKISTAN: TRH visit Islamabad, Pattika, Lahore, 29th October - 3rd November 2006
INDIA: TRH visit Delhi, Rajasthan, Jodhpur and Jaipur, 26th to 31st March 2006
SAUDI ARABIA: TRH visit Riyadh, 24th to 26th March 2006
EGYPT: TRH visit Cairo, Siwa and El Alamein, 20th to 24th March 2006
2005
USA: First Royal Tour of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. TRH visited New York, Washington D.C., New Orleans and San Francisco, 1st to 8th November 2005.