It was revealed recently that King Charles and Queen Camilla will be jetting off to Kenya for their first major long haul tour between October 31 and November 3.
The visit is significant for more reasons than one – least of all because it was the place where Queen Elizabeth II was when she heard that her father, King George VI, had passed away at the age of 56.
The country also has a deep connection for the Prince and Princess of Wales as they became engaged there during a private holiday in 2010.
As well as family ties, the tour will provide the perfect opportunity for the King to learn and speak about the country's painful history.
The stroke of genius in deciding to send King Charles and Queen Camilla to the African country for their first major visit abroad was not lost on former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
She exclusively told OK!: "Of course it is the Foreign Office who dictate where members of the royal family should visit, but I’m sure they will have consulted King Charles about this first and important Commonwealth tour.
"It gives a symmetry that would be hard to match. Kenya is where the late Queen learned of her father’s death and her new role. It seems appropriate that Kenya should be the King’s first official destination within the Commonwealth.
"The Palace has already made it clear that King Charles intends to acknowledge Kenya’s painful colonial past and that he wants to deepen his knowledge. And he can do that in a country which is already independent.
"He will be able to go there without the undertones that he is trying to make amends in the hope that he will remain King of a realm. It allows him to make a more general point about Britain’s colonial past. It seems like the perfect place for his first long haul visit."
While the late Queen's first memory of Kenya was tainted by sadness as she immediately flew back to the UK, the country always held a special place in her heart and she re-visited in 1972, 1983 and 1991.
It was revealed earlier this year that senior members of the royal family are gearing up for two years of worldwide tours in a bid "to keep Commonwealth intact" in a "soft democracy" blitz.
Among the most vital visits will be one to Australia, with it being predicted that a tour would be planned for next year to tie into King Charles' appearance at the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting in Samoa.
As well as the King's tour of Kenya, one visit that is in the diary for Prince William is to Singapore in November for the third annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony. The Princess of Wales will not join her husband for the trip as she plans to stay at home and help Prince George through his upcoming exams.
Source: Read Full Article