King Charles will not attend COP27 summit in Egypt, says UK government

King Charles will not be attending the COP27 climate summit in Egypt in November, Downing Street has confirmed, ending weeks of speculation. 

Earlier this week, Egyptian authorities renewed the British monarch’s invitation to attend the summit after his plans to attend were quashed by ex-prime minister Liz Truss. 

Buckingham Palace is yet to formally comment on the most recent announcement by No. 10, though The Times reported that the king was "champing at the bit" to go and would be disappointed by the government’s stance.

But the PM’s office claimed that it had been "unanimously agreed" by both the royal household and the government that the king would not attend.

While formerly a staunch campaigner on environmental issues, the king is now constitutionally bound to stay politically impartial.

Current dividing lines in British politics also continue to interfere with British preparations to attend the upcoming conference. 

New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared that he will not attend the climate summit, preferring to focus on the "depressing domestic challenges" facing Britain. 

His decision has prompted criticism from opposition parties and amongst his own MPs, one of whom may cause particular controversy by attending. 

Former leader Boris Johnson has intimated that he may join world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, unnamed sources told The Observer this weekend. 

This year’s conference is drawing several high-profile heads of state - including US president Joe Biden - while the Kremlin may also send delegates to the summit.  

"We’ve received a large number of confirmations from around the world, I think the last count was about 90 heads of state but the numbers keep coming in," Wael Aboulmagd, a special representative for the COP27 presidency, told Reuters earlier this month.