A British minister has denied allegations that Prime Minister Liz Truss ordered King Charles By not attending the Climate Summit (COP27) next month in Egypt, Amid questions regarding her government’s commitment to a net-zero emissions target.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles would not attend the international conference in Sharm el-Sheikh despite his longstanding and passionate commitment to environmental issues.
The “Sunday Times” newspaper reported that the decision not to go was taken following the prime minister raised objections during a meeting with the king at the palace last month, according to what was reported by “Bloomberg” and seen by “Al Arabiya.net”.
However, Senior Secretary for Housing and Communities, Simon Clark, said the decision was mutually agreed upon by the government and the palace, while ministers insisted they remained committed to a net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Clarke told Radio Times: “This is clearly a consensual decision between the king and the government… This is a decision that was taken amicably, as far as I know, between the palace and the government, and suggestions that he was ordered to walk away are simply incorrect.”
Earlier, a source told Bloomberg that it was “ridiculous” to suggest that the prime minister was “giving orders” to the king.
According to the regulation in the United Kingdom, all official foreign visits of members of the royal family take place according to the advice of the government.
Prior to his accession to the throne, there was speculation that Charles, as Prince of Wales, would go to Egypt, having addressed the Cop26 summit in Glasgow the previous year.
His eldest son William, then Duke of Cambridge, also spoke at the event, while the Queen recorded an opening speech urging world leaders to take action on climate change.
However, a government source said the palace and government “considered separately and then jointly agreed” that there might be “more appropriate options” for Charles’ first foreign visit as king.
“I think it’s quite different when the UK is the host of a big event like Cop, other than the head of state is taking part in this event which is being hosted in Egypt,” Clark said.
“It’s the natural course of things for this to be dealt with by the government and not by the monarchy,” he added.
Although he did not attend the event in person, it is understood that the king still hopes to be able to contribute to the conference in some way.
While former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was an ardent advocate of the net-zero emissions cause, Truss is believed to be more skeptical of the green agenda, a suspicion likely fueled by the latest revelations.
There was discontent among activists when Jacob Rees-Mogg – who has blamed “climate anxiety” for high energy prices – was appointed as business minister with full responsibility for energy policy.
However, the Conservative Party chairman said: “The government remains committed to a net zero carbon target by 2050”.
“Net zero is not just the right thing to do environmentally, it’s the right thing to do economically,” Clark added.
