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. Click here to read the speech.
In March 2006 Their Royal Highnesses visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India. The objectives of the tour were to promote better understanding between faiths particularly Islam and the West, support environmental and conservation initiatives, and encourage sustainable employment and training opportunities for young people.
The Duchess undertook a separate series of engagements in Saudi Arabia and visited a women’s charity, the Al Nadha Philanthropic Society for Women, and a multi-national school in Riyadh. Click here to read the story.
In February 2007, Their Royal Highnesses visited the United States of America and undertook a 10-day tour of five states in the Gulf. They stopped off in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the way back to the United Kingdom to mark St David's Day with 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and to pay tribute to the troops working in the region.
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
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