Prince Harry made a surprise trip to China on Monday (May 26) to give a speech at a tourism conference.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, jetted off to the Asian country as his father, King Charles, touched down in Canada for a state visit.
It comes just weeks after Harry admitted he’d love a “reconciliation” with his family, including his father, during an interview with the BBC.
Why is Prince Harry in China?
Monday saw Prince Harry jet over to China for a tourism conference in Shanghai.
The Duke of Sussex was there to advocate sustainable travel – the MO of his travel organisation, Travalyst.
Travalyst, which Harry co-founded in 2019, promotes environmentally friendly forms of travel.
During his speech, Harry urged the travel industry to do more to reach its climate change targets before the end of the decade.
The true measure of our commitment is how we respond when the path becomes difficult. We must never give up.
“Climate change isn’t just an environmental challenge – it’s a critical business emergency, costing the global economy $143billion dollars annually,” he said.
“Now is the moment for the industry to reaffirm its commitment to being a force for good.”
“Challenges will undoubtedly rise, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that meaningful change never comes easily. The true measure of our commitment is how we respond when the path becomes difficult. We must never give up,” he added.
King Charles arrives in Canada for two-day visit
Meanwhile, Harry’s father, King Charles, is in Canada alongside Queen Camilla.
The royal couple are in the country for the opening of parliament. This is something his mother last did in 1957.
The king will be delivering a Speech from the Throne” today (Tuesday, May 27), something the late queen last did in 1977.
However, there are concerns that Charles’ speech could end up offending US President Donald Trump. Trump and Canada have been at odds recently due to the president’s trade tariffs and desire to make Canada the USA’s 51st state.
Charles’ speech has reportedly been written on the advice of the Canadian government, and there is concern from UK government ministers that it could feature coded references to the country’s stand against Trump.
“British ministers have been trying to persuade the Canadian Government to keep Charles free of any controversy around Donald Trump,” a Commonwealth source told The Times.
Why is King Charles head of state in Canada?
Charles is head of state in Canada as the country is part of the Commonwealth.
Canada isn’t the only nation Charles is the head of state of. The king is head of state in 15 nations, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several Caribbean islands.
In contrast, there were 32 countries that recognised Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state during her 70-year reign.
Camilla sworn into Canadian Privy Council
Monday also saw Camilla sworn into the Canadian Privy Council.
The news was announced on the official royal family Instagram.
In the photo, Charles and Camilla can be seen smiling alongside the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the Governor-General, Mary Simon.
“This afternoon, the queen was sworn in as a member of the Canadian Privy Council,” the caption of the post read.
“In the presence of the king, the Governor-General and the Prime Minister, the queen participated in a private ceremony.
“The Privy Council is a group of people who advise the king on issues of importance to Canada.”
