Prince Charles Cancels Visit To HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier After British Fighter Jet Crash

The Ministry of Defense postponed Prince Charles' visit to HMS Queen Elizabeth at the last minute, jeopardizing what was supposed to be a highlight of the royals' Middle East tour.

After one of the ship's F35 stealth fighters crashed on Wednesday, the visit was canceled. Despite his dismay, the prince was greeted with a loud ovation on Friday at the Greek campus in Cairo.

Business leaders and young entrepreneurs jostled for a few seconds of face time with the prince, who was eager to inform everyone about his sustainable markets project, which aims to bring businesses and governments closer together to address the climate catastrophe.

Prince Charles, Camilla take the first overseas tour since the pandemic

Crowds have flocked to watch them in Egypt, partially because so many roads in Cairo and Alexandria were stopped, and the convoy and security setup was significant, Sky News reported.

However, the first big overseas tour since the outbreak drew more attention than prior trips, and Prince Charles and Camilla have checked all the boxes that Number 10 and the Foreign Office would have expected.0

Per MIRROR, Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander of the Carrier Strike Group, and Captain Ian Feasey, Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, were scheduled to greet Prince Charles during his visit. He was also supposed to see an F35 aircraft take off from the flight deck before meeting members of the ship's crew, which included US Navy and Marines.

The four-day tour includes a personal pilgrimage to the location where John the Baptist is said to have resided and baptized Jesus near the Jordan River on Israel's border.

Royals' visit shows Middle East-UK ties

After visiting a cave on Elijah's Hill, where John the Baptist stayed for almost 20 years, Prince Charles and Camilla both leaned down to touch the water. Many Prophets have gone through the location and surrounding region, and it was a Pilgrimage Station on the early Pilgrimage Trail.

The site presented Prince Charles with 72 bottles of holy water as a gift for future royal christenings. The royal couple was also shown around Giza's Great Pyramids. Their journey to Egypt will emphasize the country's close ties with the United Kingdom, and it comes only weeks after the future King's presence at the COP26 conference in Glasgow.

He was also set to observe an F35 fighter launch from the flight deck during his visit. Some of the ship's crew, including US Navy and Marines, were also slated to meet the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles and Camilla were scheduled to visit as part of a two-day trip to Egypt. The pair paid a visit to the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx on Thursday, one of the ancient world's seven wonders.

Both Prince Charles and Camilla have visited the pyramids in private previously, but never together. Charles had not visited Cairo in 15 years before he embarked on this journey. The royals' visit is intended to commemorate Egypt's connections with the United Kingdom as the country prepares to host COP27 next year, as per Exrpess.co.