King Charles will not attend this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) due to his ongoing cancer treatment. The monarch, a long-time advocate for environmental protection, delivered a powerful speech at last year’s conference but will be unable to participate in this year’s event.
Despite his absence from COP29, King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to embark on a State Visit to Australia and Samoa next week. Sources indicate that his medical team has permitted him to temporarily pause his cancer treatment for 11 days to accommodate the tour.
As is customary for the head of state, he will be accompanied by a doctor during the trip. This tour marks King Charles’ first visit to these countries since ascending to the throne and his first international travel following his cancer diagnosis.
According to royal insiders cited by The Mirror, the UK government has decided not to request King Charles’ presence at the annual COP event. “The King will not be going to COP. He has not been asked by the government to attend the event, and he is also mindful of his own commitments following the upcoming autumn tour,” a source told the outlet.
This year’s COP29 is scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan. Although King Charles will not be attending, he did meet with the president-designate of COP29, Mukhtar Babayev, who is also Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, at Clarence House in London back in July, extending his support and warm welcome.
While his absence from the conference is notable, the King’s focus remains on fulfilling his duties as he balances his health and royal commitments.