The forthcoming visit of His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge to Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Prince William to meet President Abbas, see real Palestinian life and culture, and pay his respects at the tomb of his great-grandmother on the Mount of Olives.
Prince William
Prince William will visit Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories from Sunday 24th June until Thursday 28th June at the request of the UK Government. The visit will be The Duke’s first to the region. Not all details of the Duke’s visit have yet been released due to operational reasons.
Explaining the purpose of the tour the spokesman said:
In Jordan, His Royal Highness will be able to build on the strong links that exist not only between the two countries, but also between their respective Royal families who have visited each other many times over the years. In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the visit will be the first official tour on behalf of the Government by a Member of The Royal Family.
The complex challenges in the region are of course well known. The non-political nature of His Royal Highness’s role – in common with all Royal visits overseas – allows a spotlight to be brought to bear on the people of the region: their cultures, their young people, their aspirations, and their experiences. In cities with storied histories that are never far from the headlines, The Duke’s goal will be to meet as many people from as many walks of life as possible – and to use the spotlight that his visit will bring to celebrate their hopes for the future. During the visit, The Duke will meet young entrepreneurs, view vibrant tech and media sectors, witness historic cultures being protected and interpreted for the 21st century, and meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds – including refugees – with a particular focus on young people.
The Duke will also meet with senior political and religious leaders in all three places, as well as a wide range of people drawn from across business, civil society, the arts and media and other sectors at receptions organised by the UK’s three missions.
Turning to the detail of the programme in Jerusalem and Ramallah the spokesman continued:
The Duke of Cambridge will arrive to the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the afternoon of the 27th of June. The Duke will directly travel to Ramallah where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting will take place at the President’s office.
The rest of the afternoon’s programme in the West Bank will include events that focus on the issues facing refugee communities; opportunities to celebrate Palestinian culture, music and food; and a chance to meet a number of young Palestinians. Full details will be announced during the visit.
That evening The Duke will give his final speech of the tour when he attends a reception at the residence of the Consul General in Jerusalem.
The next day’s programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories will begin with a short briefing on the history and geography of Jerusalem’s Old City from a viewing point at the Mount of Olives. From here His Royal Highness will travel a short distance to the Church of St Mary Magdalene where he will pay his respects at the tomb of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice. Both The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have made previous visits here. The rest of the programme for the day will be announced at a later date, but will allow His Royal Highness to understand and pay respect to the religions and history of the region.
The spokesman concluded:
The historic nature of this tour is of course important and The Duke considers it a great privilege to be undertaking the first ever official Royal tour of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to be able to help further strengthen the friendship between Jordan and the United Kingdom. More importantly, however, The Duke is looking forward to building a real and enduring relationship with the people of the region. In particular he is pleased that his programme will allow him to meet a number of people from his own generation and young Jordanians, Israelis, and Palestinians. His Royal Highness is looking forward to learning about their unique perspectives, but also their shared ambitions and hopes for the future.