Royal Overseas Visits

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall undertake official visits every year at the request of the British Government, to enhance and protect the UK’s overseas interests.

55,454

Miles travelled to and from official engagements in the UK and overseas.

15

Counties visited.

Canada

From 29th June to 1st July, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Canada to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.  The visit highlighted four key themes of Canada’s sesquicentennial: diversity and inclusion; reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; youth; and the environment. This was The Prince of Wales’ eighteenth visit to Canada and The Duchess of Cornwall’s fourth.

​The visit was centred on the Canada Day celebrations on Saturday 1st July when The Prince and The Duchess joined the Governor General, Prime Minister Trudeau and thousands of Canadians for a spectacular event on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill.

​Their Royal Highnesses also carried out an extensive programme of engagements during their three day visit to the Territory of Nunavut and the Province of Ontario as well as the Capital Region, which showcased the rich cultural heritage of Inuit communities as well as Canadian innovation and excellence in the arts, business and science.

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Malta

In October The Prince of Wales visited Malta, a country that he first visited as a five year old boy, and held talks with Dr. Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta and Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.  The Prince, as President of The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, joined veterans at a moving ceremony to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the awarding of The George Cross to Malta.

On the second day of the visit, His Royal Highness delivered the keynote speech at the Our Ocean Conference, a high-level international meeting on safeguarding the world’s oceans. The Prince called for “decisive action” to tackle the critical threat posed by plastics to the world’s marine ecology.

In Golden Bay, The Prince of Wales joined volunteers from a local N.G.O. to release an eighteen year old loggerhead turtle which had been rescued and rehabilitated after consuming plastic at sea.

“The George Cross that proudly adorns your flag will forever bear testament to Malta’s essential strength of character. What is more, it serves as a symbol of the profound gratitude that all of us – in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth – feel for the sacrifice that Malta made, and of the enduring friendship we enjoy with the people of these ancient isles.”

HRH The Prince of Wales speaking at the 75th Anniversary
Commemoration of Malta receiving the George Cross

Caribbean visit post Hurricanes Irma

In November, The Prince visited the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; and the British Virgin Islands to show his support for communities recovering from the devastating hurricanes which struck the region in September. On each island, His Royal Highness toured the worst affected areas to hear from people whose homes had been damaged or destroyed or who had been displaced. The Prince also met aid and rescue workers to thank them for their vital works towards the recovery effort. 

His Royal Highness held a series of talks with the Governor General and Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; the President and Prime Minister of Dominica; and the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, to hear from them about the growing threat of climate change and climate-induced disasters to the Caribbean, and to discuss how the Commonwealth could best respond.

“The recent events in the Caribbean have helped to underline the importance of the Commonwealth as a family whose members care deeply for each other in times of need.”

The Prince of Wales at a reception at Government House in Antigua

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Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and India

In November, at the request of the British Government, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall undertook fifty engagements in ten days across Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and India. The Tour showcased the breadth and depth of the U.K’s relationship with key Commonwealth partners in advance of the Commonwealth Summit in London that took place in April. The visit to Malaysia marked sixty years of Malaysian independence and of UK-Malaysia diplomatic ties.   

During the Tour, The Prince of Wales held talks with Heads of State and Government including His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei; His Majesty The King of Malaysia; Her Excellency Hamilah Yacob, the President of Singapore; the Hon. Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore; and the Hon. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.  

The Prince also undertook engagements focussed on education and youth opportunity; and on sustainability and conservation, including visits to the rainforests of Brunei and Peninsular Malaysia to highlight the need to protect the region’s remarkable biodiversity. In Singapore, His Royal Highness met business leaders at an event to showcase the UK-Singapore innovation partnership and its contribution to both our economies. The visit to India marked the climax of the 2017 U.K.-India Year of Culture.  

The Duchess of Cornwall, as well as conducting many joint engagements with His Royal Highness, carried out an extensive programme involving women’s empowerment and child literacy groups.

“Sixty years on from independence it is clear that very strong foundations of mutual respect and understanding were laid down when Malaysia became part of the Commonwealth, with its shared principles, strong values and vision of a common future.”

The Prince of Wales at a Gala Dinner in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Highlights from the Autumn Tour

Ireland

In May, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Republic of Ireland. The visit showcased the strength and vitality of the connections between the United Kingdom and Ireland and the friendship and partnership that has defined our relationship over recent years.

On arrival in Dublin, The Prince and Duchess were received by President Higgins and Sabina Higgins at the President’s residence, Áras an Uachtaráin. Other highlights of Their Royal Highnesses’ third official visit to Ireland included an engagement at Kilkenny Castle, where they saw some traditional music and watched a hurling demonstration by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The Prince and Duchess also attended ceremonies at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin to commemorate those who lost their lives in the First World War and during the Easter Rising. Whilst in Dublin, His Royal Highness also met with The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.