King Charles and Queen Camilla in May.Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
King CharlesandQueen Camillawill recognize a dark moment in British colonial history when they travel to Kenya later this month for an official state visit.
The royal couple will “acknowledge the more painful aspects of the UK and Kenya’s shared history,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Wednesday announcing their trip.
Charles, 74, and Camilla, 76, will visit Kenya between October 31 and November 3. The state visit marks the first time the couple has visited a Commonwealth country since Charles became king following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth last year.
Ostensibly there to “celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge,” the visit will also hold a poignant memory for Charles. It was in Kenya — in 1952 — that Queen Elizabeth was told her father King George VI had died and she was now monarch.
King Charles and Queen Camilla in May.Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Images
Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Images
An estimated 11,000 Mau Mau rebels and others were killed, according to theBBC, but unofficial figures put the losses at much greater numbers. Some estimates say there were as many as 90,000 Kenyans executed, while more than 150,000 were detained.
Charles and Camilla arriving in Bordeaux last month.CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Charles' son Prince William has also recently addressed Britain’s “difficult” past.
On Windrush Day in June 2022, William and his wife Kate Middleton participated in theunveiling of a memorialhonoring the Windrush Generation in London. The prince used the occasion to recognize how the “past weighs heavily on the present” amid the controversy that followed the couple’sCaribbean tourin March 2022, where their presence was met with protests over colonialism and calls to dropQueen Elizabethas head of state.
The King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas. “Their Majesties’ program will reflect the ways in which Kenya and the United Kingdom are working together, notably to boost mutual prosperity, tackle climate change, promote youth opportunity and employment, advance sustainable development and create a more stable and secure region,” the palace added.
During the visit, King and Queen’s program will celebrate the close links between the British and Kenyan people in areas such as the creative arts, technology, enterprise, education and innovation.
As a longstanding advocate for women who have been abused, Camilla will meet survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, learning how they are supported and sharing her own insights from working in this area.
And, in her position as patron of the equine welfare charity Brooke, she will also be taken to see how the charity is working with the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals to rescue donkeys at risk and promote their welfare.
Charles, meanwhile, will meet faith leaders from Mombasa’s diverse community, hearing how they are working together to promote harmony amongst the city’s population, the palace said.
King Charles in Bucharest, Romania earlier this year.MIHAI BARBU/AFP via Getty
MIHAI BARBU/AFP via Getty
Can’t get enough ofPEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates onKate Middleton,Meghan Markleand more!
The visit comes about two months after thecouple visited Francefor a mini-tour that had been postponed since March.
source: people.com
