Queen Elizabeth has covered over 60 per cent of the world on her state visits. The monarch has visited well over 100 countries – but some countries stand out as never having been graced with the presence of the Queen. There’s one country in particular she has never been to – although her grandson Prince William has. Queen Elizabeth has never visited Israel in the Middle East.
This is due to the complex political situation plaguing the country.
The Queen has never travelled to Israel because of the “never-ending tensions in the region,” according to the Telegraph.
This is due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority which has caused unsettlement.
The British government often dictate the countries visited by Royal Family members and the region may have been deemed politically unwise in the past.
Prince Charles has visited Israel but not on official visits on behalf of the Royal Family.
He attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 and former President Shimon Peres in 2016.
However, while his grandmother has never made it to Israel, Prince William has.
The Duke of Cambridge, unlike his father, made the trip on behalf of the Royal Family.
In June 2018 he undertook a Middle East royal tour, visiting Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
During the visit, he met Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and the pair surprised many by watching the World Cup together.
Kate Middleton’s husband also met Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today on his visit to Israel
According to a Kensington Palace statement at the time, the tour had “complex challenges” due to the political problems.
However, they also confirmed: “The non-political nature of His Royal Highness’s role – in common with all Royal visits overseas – allows a spotlight to be brought to bear on the people of the region: their cultures, their young people, their aspirations, and their experiences.”
The Duchess of Cambridge did not join her husband on the Israel visit.
This was because she was still on maternity following the birth of their third child, Prince Louis.
The costs of Royal Family travel were revealed this week in The Sovereign Grant Report.
The report showed that for the year up to 31 March 2019 the total cost of the Royal Family’s travel came to £2.7 million.
Prince Charles’ visits abroad with Camilla amounted to nearly half of the total sum of royal travel. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall spent £1.3 million on travel for royal engagements over the past year – up by almost a third on the previous year.
