King Charles is 74 years old, and he’ll be 75 later this year. He’s a Scorpio King in every sense. Before the coronation, I would have said that Charles is in good health and he likely got both of his parents’ longevity genes. But post-coronation, all of the little palace elves were working overtime to insinuate that Charles and Camilla would not travel as much as they used to, and that Camilla would likely be done with foreign tours now that she’s queen. I’ve been wondering if that’s just William and Kate trying to embiggen themselves and make it sound like they’re indispensable, or whether Charles and Camilla are really saying: we are too old to do flop tours either. Soon after QEII died, the palace couldn’t brief the media fast enough about all of the tours Charles, Camilla and the other royals would do, that they would go to commonwealth countries and tour the world and make a special stop in Australia. All of those plans just… went away. Charles couldn’t even do his big tour to France because French people started threatening him with the guillotine. Well, apparently Charles is now making tentative plans (I know a trial balloon when I see one) about maybe visiting Kenya “later this year.”
King Charles is planning to embark on an emotional visit to Kenya later this year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. In an apparent drive to put the Commonwealth at the heart of his reign, he is expected to go to east Africa before he even rearranges a visit to France that was abandoned in March over security fears. The trip is certain to evoke memories of his mother, as it was where she became Queen, aged 25, after the death of her father, King George VI, in February 1952.
An insider said: ‘It will be a poignant moment. Inevitably it will be a reminder of his young mother at the start of her reign. Now, he is at the start of his, but he has the advantage of experience, too. It will also be an important marker for his reign that will underline how importantly he views the Commonwealth. His Majesty wants to bring people together. He knows the relationship will change between the Royal Family and the realms and other Commonwealth countries, but is keen to preserve and protect the common values.’
Aides are now looking into the logistics for the King to follow in his late mother’s footsteps. A source said: ‘The plans are being put in place for the King to go to Kenya later this year. He wants to visit the Commonwealth.’
The first visit to a Commonwealth country as King, however, will be an important step in his reign. Although it is not one of the 15 realms that recognises him as its head of state, it is nevertheless an influential member. A source said shoring up the connections between the ‘family of countries’ supported by his late mother will be one of the chief concerns of his reign.
“The first visit to a Commonwealth country as King, however, will be an important step in his reign.” The jig is up – Charles prioritized British ties to the European Union first and foremost by making such a big deal about visiting France and Germany before his coronation. That alone was a shift from his mother’s priorities – she was happy to abandon the EU because she believed in strengthening Commonwealth ties at the expense of EU ties. Honestly, if I lived in a commonwealth country – especially one where Charles serves as head of state – I would be sort of offended that Charles hasn’t prioritized a commonwealth tour at the very start of his reign. That was supposed to be part of the plan, Charles visiting all of his “realms” right off the bat. Those plans just… went away. To make his first commonwealth visit of his reign to Kenya, where his mother was staying when her father died? It feels like an odd choice, especially since it feels like such a half-assed trial balloon.
The Times also reported that Charles is already scheduled to visit Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting next year, and he plans to tack on a visit to Australia and New Zealand around the same time.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
