As the royal family gathers at Westminster Cathedral today to say goodbye to the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, one senior royal notably will not be in attendance: Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (not to be confused with Prince Edward, Duke of Kent).
On Sunday, Prince Edward arrived in Papua New Guinea to represent King Charles at the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence from Australia. Papua New Guinea is one of 15 commonwealth realms where Charles is head of state.
The Duke of Edinburgh inspects the guard of honour upon his arrival at Port Moresby International Airport.
The Duke of Edinburgh will be in Papua New Guinea until September 17th, meaning he will also likely miss the start of President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK.
King Charles has visited the numerous times, including in 1975 upon the country’s independence celebrations. His most recent visit took place in 2012, alongside Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall.
Charles, then the Prince of Wales, represents Queen Elizabeth at the independence celebrations in Papua New Guinea, September 1975.
Prince Charles in Papua New Guinea, 1984.
The royal couple arrives into Jackson’s International Airport on November 3, 2012 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The last British royal to visit the country was Princess Anne, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. This week marks Prince Edward’s first time in the country. “We’ve had all the other brothers and sisters here, and we look forward to two wonderful days of this very historic royal visit, where His Royal Highness will be visiting settlements in Port Moresby, villages, and different levels of society of our people,” Justin Tkatchenko, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, said, per the Post Courier. “He will also participate in all the events with our Government, our Prime Minister, and our Governor-General at the highest level.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.