Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have been making the most of their whirlwind royal tour of Jordan and Egypt this week.
The trip marks the couple’s first international royal tour in almost two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles and Camilla announced the tour in late October, revealing their plans to represent Queen Elizabeth II at a number of events and engagements abroad, but it was a different queen that stole the spotlight on their first day.
Queen Rania of Jordan looked radiant as she, King Abdullah II and their son, Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein bin Abdullah, met the British royals at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman on Tuesday.
The next day was spent touring key sites in Jordan, while Camilla took fashion notes from other royal ladies and dressed in the perfect ensembles for her international visit.
On day three, the couple travelled to Egypt and photographers caught a sweet moment between Charles and Camilla.
Keep reading to see the sweet snap, and for all the details from Charles and Camilla’s big international trip.
A tender moment was captured between Charles and Camilla in Egypt on Thursday, as they walked arm-in-arm to visit The Sphinx and Giza Pyramids. It was a touching gesture between the royals, but certainly not the only exciting moment on their tour.
Keep scrolling to see how Charles and Camilla’s tour of Jordan and Egypt has been unfolding.
Charles and Camilla touched down in Amman on Tuesday, stepping out onto a red carpet with a full Jordanian honour guard to welcome them.
The couple also shared a video of their arrival on Instagram, and it was strikingly similar to a clip of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arriving in Pakistan in 2019. Watch Charles and Camilla’s video at the top of the article, then compare it to the one from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge below.
Kate Middleton and Prince William touch down in Pakistan
The British royals met with King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, the latter of whom looked stunning in an elegant cream belted dress. The Jordanian royal style icon also shared a beautiful message about Queen Elizabeth II in an interview.
“I think we all find comfort when we think of her. We’re always concerned for her health, but she’s a strong woman,” Rania told ITV of the 95-year-old monarch. “We can all just hope to be as active as she is at that age, so you know our best wishes are always with her and hopefully she’ll have many years ahead of her”.
Charles and Camilla then travelled to a local site believed to be where John the Baptist lived and baptised Jesus. They shared photos to Instagram with the caption: “It was particularly special to visit such a significant place for all three monotheistic religions, and where interfaith relations can be celebrated.”
Nearby, they toured toured Elijah’s Hill with HRH Prince Ghazi and the couple took a quiet moment together. This site is believed to be where Elijah ascended to heaven in the 9th Century BC and features a cave, as well as the remains of a 5th Century church.
The two royal couples also came together for a more official royal meeting, where it’s understood Charles spoke to the Jordanian couple about climate change, a cause he’s passionate about.
On their second day in Jordan, Charles and Camilla took in the spectacular landscape of Umm Qais and learned about Turquoise Mountain, a charity that works to protect heritage and communities at risk around the world.
“The charity has worked hard to restore the important and historic site of Umm Qais, which dates back over 2,400 years,” read a caption on the Clarence House Instagram.
Camilla then travelled to Princess Taghreed Secondary Girls School, where she met with “talented, creative and smart young ladies and children” as pupils attended their classes.
She even went into grandmother mode as she attended a Women of the World Foundation event, where she was able to hold baby girl Sarah Abu Ameerah.
The royal duo headed to an event marking the centenary of the founding of the Jordanian state, and Camilla took some style cues from the late Princess Diana.
She dressed in a light, flowing ensemble modelled on local dress and fashion traditions, something Diana was known to do when she embarked on royal tours.
In fact, Diana wore two very similar outfits during a 1996 visit to Pakistan. She and Camilla have both used their fashion to pay homage to the styles and fashion trends of the nations they visited.
Charles and Camilla headed to Egypt on Thursday, where they first visited the lavish Al-Athadia Palace. Camilla donned another outfit reminiscent of Diana’s, pairing a pink tunic with loose white trousers.
The royal duo were welcomed by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his wife Entissar Amer, at the presidential palace.
Camilla draped a scarf around her head as she and Charles headed to al-Azhar mosque, where they spoke with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, an Egyptian Islamic scholar and the current Grand Imam of the mosque.
Then it was off to some of the nation’s most iconic landmarks, where Charles put his arm around his wife as the posed in front of the Sphinx.
The couple seemed to enjoy a spot of sightseeing, writing on Instagram: “A phenomenal moment at one of Egypt’s great sites of rich ancient history.”
