The King will continue to champion the environment while on the throne, palace sources have indicated.
However, he will “highlight” rather than campaign in the manner he has done for decades.
It comes after the King had a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, during which the French president “signalled his full willingness” to continue their work together – “starting with the protection of the climate and the planet”.
The King will no longer travel to the Cop27 world leaders’ summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, in November, when he was due to push his own green agenda and announce a new forum on sustainability, The Telegraph has confirmed.
A tour of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan that was due to precede it has also been abandoned.
Instead, the King is expected to make his first official state visit to “one of our nearest neighbours” within weeks.
The moment will mark the resumption of overseas state visits by a reigning British monarch for the first time since 2015, when the late Queen made her final trip abroad, spending three days in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The King’s first foreign visit as monarch was previously expected to be one of the 14 Commonwealth realms, but they are considered too far away to organise and get to at short notice.
The Terra Carta Action Forum, or Earth Charter – a 10-year “recovery plan” for the private sector – is due to take place during the Cop27 climate talks on Nov 7 and 8. It is being hosted by the King’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, which was launched by His Majesty last January.
Royal sources said the King’s passion for the environment and commitment to the cause would not diminish, noting that it was widely known and not hugely controversial.
What he does about those views is “a different matter” and an issue that his advisers will address between them in the coming weeks and months.
One acknowledged that it might appear odd for the King to suddenly stop talking about a subject on which he has campaigned for five decades.
“There is a difference between highlighting and championing, particularly when championing specific policies,” said the source.
“He will not campaign on the issue but he is still a great convener and can still bring people together.”
Another royal insider said it would not be impossible for the King to attend events such as Cop27 in the future, but that he would have to take a different approach to that as the Prince of Wales.
”The way he engages with them would have to change,” said the insider.
The source said a line would have been drawn through any future plans already in the King’s diary from when he was Prince of Wales, with new visits scheduled, prioritising Commonwealth realms likely to include Canada or Australia and New Zealand.
Other senior members of the Royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, will be similarly deployed. “Who goes where is extremely important,” said the source.
“Overseas visits for the now King and Queen will be very carefully considered not just by Buckingham Palace, but also by the Government.
“Suddenly, the UK has an additional card to play in overseas diplomacy.
“These are visits that are about strengthening bonds with other countries – important when travelling as the Prince of Wales but vital as head of state.”
The King, who was often accused of meddling as the Prince of Wales, acknowledged in his first televised address to the nation last Friday that he would step back from his campaigning and charity work that shaped his life as heir to the throne.
“My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities,” he said.
“It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
I think one of the biggest issues is that there are some issues that aren’t inherently political but if certain parties are more inclined to take a stance then everyone just decides they are political.
Like, gay rights shouldn’t be a political one. But if one party opposes them and another supports them then it’s twisted into taking the side of one party over another.
I don’t think we should let key issues be stolen by politics. And it’s very often the case that “making it political” is a key way of shutting it down.
If he’s serious about green issues maybe drop the palaces, bloodsports and private jets.
Collecting that sweet untaxed green!
Oh are they talking about the environment?
I’m hoping he finally chooses to champion the end of hen harrier persecution on his bloodsport land, and rewilds it.
He’s the only one able to do anything about that particular environmental issue and has been remarkably quiet about it, which makes you wonder just how much he really cares.
The queen, informed scottish govt that royal properties would be exempt from any green laws. Lets see if charlie changes that
Maybe you could have some wind farms on your royal estates? Maybe you could spend some of your billions of pounds on green initiatives? Stop using 15 cars to drive places? Decommission the royal yacht? Stop using a private airplane.
Whilst the sentiment is laudable, I’d be curious to know how he squares his views with his own carbon footprint.
How many times has he taken a private plane when there would’ve been a greener (and equally feasible) alternative? The message rings a little hollow if you fly in on your own plane to deliver it…
[deleted]
Also – King Charles will carry on flying everywhere as much as he likes, being driven about in gas guzzling convoys and generally over consuming like crazy
Good cuz the Tories won’t, their planning to drill and frack everywhere possible
Amazing, we pay 30 to 70 million pounds per year for something that Greta Thunberg does for free..
Maybe he can use some of the money from his inheritance that he didn’t get taxed on to help the country. But he won’t.
It’s a very difficult line for him to straddle.
Environmental issues are inherently anti-capitalist. Or at least, anti traditional capitalist. He will always piss off a business owner somewhere, and therefore he’ll piss off whichever political party needs that business owner’s vote.
Lots of people being critical of His Majesty here, but at least he does his part.
Give me one good reason why you aren’t also running your Aston Martin on leftover wine and cheese?
If the royals actually decided to use their powers for good the right would turn on them just like they have everyone else who’s tried to make the world better.
I’m a self-described Republican but given the establishment we live in I say good on him. If we are to have a Monarch then I say they shouldn’t be applauded for doing nothing, thats not leadership. I hope that Charles can play a role in helping people in this country understand what Truth is in this age of disinformation.
Climate change is apolitical in its reality as are the consequences. Tory MPs won’t dare contradict The King.
Would be weird if he did a 180 and said “fuck the planet”
I hope that means he and the rest of his family will quit flying here, there, and everywhere on a constant basis. On private jets.
Championing long term causes such as speaking up for the environment is something you would want a monarch to do.
The real question is whether he intends to continue to push homeopathy, a pseudo-medicine that kills people because it makes people think they don’t need actual medicine.
We need more people that care about the environment, especially now that Liss Truss is promoting fossil fuels again.
From his helicopter? Or from the massive uninsulated castle of Windsor?
You know he’s a key instigator of the WEF environmental program ?
I would like to champagne green issues too! Touche everybody:*
“Charles admits he will continue to note that the world is round if it comes up, flat earthers furious and say he’s breaking royal protocol.”.
As long as he doesn’t have to worry about the money side of things then why not
I d be more impressed if he paid inheritance tax, like… everyone else.
As long as he gives up on trying to push homeopathy on the NHS, I’ll be happy.
This must be to difficult for The Telegraph (and also Mail, Express etc). Of course they must bow and scrape to the ‘royalty’ because tradition and unquestioning ‘conservatism’, and act as if they are beyond reproach and scrutiny, but then also they must in this case support views they see as contrary to their selfish, capitalist instincts. The old one was good because she didn’t have opinions about anything except horses, but this one could be trouble. Expect cognitive dissonance.
Championing Green issues while his family probably have one of the biggest carbon footprints of any family. Dont do as I do, do as I say pesants.
I’d bet money they still invest money in fossil fuels and will overlook fracking on their land if the government gives them a pay rise
Meanwhile Liz brings back Fracking. Good luck Charles. Good luck.
To be honest, at some point most people will have an environmental disaster while sitting on the throne!
Who always gets the worst bite of the cherry kids n who always gets in n shits on them? TORIES. CHARLES SHOULD BE ANTI CONSERVATIVE.
Hopefully we have a Green Government who are very pro environmental n pro EU n will get us back to the EU n in the real world.
I don’t trust this fella to be honest and lets see what he does on any global issues with regard to climate change.
Well, good.
Maybe he can convince some of that particular subset of staunch royalists out there that also happen to harbour climate denying, anti immigrant and other right to far right views that green issues are super important.
37 comments
The King will continue to champion the environment while on the throne, palace sources have indicated.
However, he will “highlight” rather than campaign in the manner he has done for decades.
It comes after the King had a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, during which the French president “signalled his full willingness” to continue their work together – “starting with the protection of the climate and the planet”.
The King will no longer travel to the Cop27 world leaders’ summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, in November, when he was due to push his own green agenda and announce a new forum on sustainability, The Telegraph has confirmed.
A tour of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan that was due to precede it has also been abandoned.
Instead, the King is expected to make his first official state visit to “one of our nearest neighbours” within weeks.
The moment will mark the resumption of overseas state visits by a reigning British monarch for the first time since 2015, when the late Queen made her final trip abroad, spending three days in Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The King’s first foreign visit as monarch was previously expected to be one of the 14 Commonwealth realms, but they are considered too far away to organise and get to at short notice.
The Terra Carta Action Forum, or Earth Charter – a 10-year “recovery plan” for the private sector – is due to take place during the Cop27 climate talks on Nov 7 and 8. It is being hosted by the King’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, which was launched by His Majesty last January.
Royal sources said the King’s passion for the environment and commitment to the cause would not diminish, noting that it was widely known and not hugely controversial.
What he does about those views is “a different matter” and an issue that his advisers will address between them in the coming weeks and months.
One acknowledged that it might appear odd for the King to suddenly stop talking about a subject on which he has campaigned for five decades.
“There is a difference between highlighting and championing, particularly when championing specific policies,” said the source.
“He will not campaign on the issue but he is still a great convener and can still bring people together.”
Another royal insider said it would not be impossible for the King to attend events such as Cop27 in the future, but that he would have to take a different approach to that as the Prince of Wales.
”The way he engages with them would have to change,” said the insider.
The source said a line would have been drawn through any future plans already in the King’s diary from when he was Prince of Wales, with new visits scheduled, prioritising Commonwealth realms likely to include Canada or Australia and New Zealand.
Other senior members of the Royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, will be similarly deployed. “Who goes where is extremely important,” said the source.
“Overseas visits for the now King and Queen will be very carefully considered not just by Buckingham Palace, but also by the Government.
“Suddenly, the UK has an additional card to play in overseas diplomacy.
“These are visits that are about strengthening bonds with other countries – important when travelling as the Prince of Wales but vital as head of state.”
The King, who was often accused of meddling as the Prince of Wales, acknowledged in his first televised address to the nation last Friday that he would step back from his campaigning and charity work that shaped his life as heir to the throne.
“My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities,” he said.
“It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
I think one of the biggest issues is that there are some issues that aren’t inherently political but if certain parties are more inclined to take a stance then everyone just decides they are political.
Like, gay rights shouldn’t be a political one. But if one party opposes them and another supports them then it’s twisted into taking the side of one party over another.
I don’t think we should let key issues be stolen by politics. And it’s very often the case that “making it political” is a key way of shutting it down.
If he’s serious about green issues maybe drop the palaces, bloodsports and private jets.
Collecting that sweet untaxed green!
Oh are they talking about the environment?
I’m hoping he finally chooses to champion the end of hen harrier persecution on his bloodsport land, and rewilds it.
He’s the only one able to do anything about that particular environmental issue and has been remarkably quiet about it, which makes you wonder just how much he really cares.
The queen, informed scottish govt that royal properties would be exempt from any green laws. Lets see if charlie changes that
Maybe you could have some wind farms on your royal estates? Maybe you could spend some of your billions of pounds on green initiatives? Stop using 15 cars to drive places? Decommission the royal yacht? Stop using a private airplane.
Whilst the sentiment is laudable, I’d be curious to know how he squares his views with his own carbon footprint.
How many times has he taken a private plane when there would’ve been a greener (and equally feasible) alternative? The message rings a little hollow if you fly in on your own plane to deliver it…
[deleted]
Also – King Charles will carry on flying everywhere as much as he likes, being driven about in gas guzzling convoys and generally over consuming like crazy
Good cuz the Tories won’t, their planning to drill and frack everywhere possible
Amazing, we pay 30 to 70 million pounds per year for something that Greta Thunberg does for free..
Maybe he can use some of the money from his inheritance that he didn’t get taxed on to help the country. But he won’t.
It’s a very difficult line for him to straddle.
Environmental issues are inherently anti-capitalist. Or at least, anti traditional capitalist. He will always piss off a business owner somewhere, and therefore he’ll piss off whichever political party needs that business owner’s vote.
Lots of people being critical of His Majesty here, but at least he does his part.
Give me one good reason why you aren’t also running your Aston Martin on leftover wine and cheese?
If the royals actually decided to use their powers for good the right would turn on them just like they have everyone else who’s tried to make the world better.
I’m a self-described Republican but given the establishment we live in I say good on him. If we are to have a Monarch then I say they shouldn’t be applauded for doing nothing, thats not leadership. I hope that Charles can play a role in helping people in this country understand what Truth is in this age of disinformation.
Climate change is apolitical in its reality as are the consequences. Tory MPs won’t dare contradict The King.
Would be weird if he did a 180 and said “fuck the planet”
I hope that means he and the rest of his family will quit flying here, there, and everywhere on a constant basis. On private jets.
Championing long term causes such as speaking up for the environment is something you would want a monarch to do.
The real question is whether he intends to continue to push homeopathy, a pseudo-medicine that kills people because it makes people think they don’t need actual medicine.
We need more people that care about the environment, especially now that Liss Truss is promoting fossil fuels again.
From his helicopter? Or from the massive uninsulated castle of Windsor?
You know he’s a key instigator of the WEF environmental program ?
I would like to champagne green issues too! Touche everybody:*
“Charles admits he will continue to note that the world is round if it comes up, flat earthers furious and say he’s breaking royal protocol.”.
As long as he doesn’t have to worry about the money side of things then why not
I d be more impressed if he paid inheritance tax, like… everyone else.
As long as he gives up on trying to push homeopathy on the NHS, I’ll be happy.
This must be to difficult for The Telegraph (and also Mail, Express etc). Of course they must bow and scrape to the ‘royalty’ because tradition and unquestioning ‘conservatism’, and act as if they are beyond reproach and scrutiny, but then also they must in this case support views they see as contrary to their selfish, capitalist instincts. The old one was good because she didn’t have opinions about anything except horses, but this one could be trouble. Expect cognitive dissonance.
Championing Green issues while his family probably have one of the biggest carbon footprints of any family. Dont do as I do, do as I say pesants.
I’d bet money they still invest money in fossil fuels and will overlook fracking on their land if the government gives them a pay rise
Meanwhile Liz brings back Fracking. Good luck Charles. Good luck.
To be honest, at some point most people will have an environmental disaster while sitting on the throne!
Who always gets the worst bite of the cherry kids n who always gets in n shits on them? TORIES. CHARLES SHOULD BE ANTI CONSERVATIVE.
Hopefully we have a Green Government who are very pro environmental n pro EU n will get us back to the EU n in the real world.
I don’t trust this fella to be honest and lets see what he does on any global issues with regard to climate change.
Well, good.
Maybe he can convince some of that particular subset of staunch royalists out there that also happen to harbour climate denying, anti immigrant and other right to far right views that green issues are super important.