To celebrate the Silver Jubilee in the 70s, the late Queen Elizabeth II visited 73 different countries and territories, including 52 Commonwealth countries. Now with King Charles III on the throne, the new monarch also hopes to visit many countries like his mother, according to the British media Daily Star on October 22, and this time may be "the largest round the world trip in the history of the royal family."
According to royal insiders, King Charles, 73, plans to visit Australia, New Zealand and a number of Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean during his first two years in power to officially kick-start his reign.
The source told the Mirror that the king was "acutely aware" that these Commonwealth countries were also considering abandoning the monarchy altogether at the time of his ascension, which would lead to turmoil in his reign, so the king and his family wanted to quickly "extend a hand of friendship and support" to these countries in these crucial first months and years.
At the same time, King Charles' move is also seen as a commitment to the Queen's long-held belief that "if you want to be trusted, you must be seen", so he is very eager to go out and meet as many people as possible.
It is reported that King Charles will make his first state visit to South Africa with Queen Camilla as early as next month, and Australia and Canada will soon be put on the agenda.
In addition, the royal couple will visit Asian countries together, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. European countries such as France and Germany are also expected to be on the itinerary, after all, the royal family has also wanted to re-establish ties with these EU countries since Brexit.
However, plans to visit Germany scheduled for next month are said to have been postponed to 2023. And it is understood that Queen Camilla will not accompany her husband on the whole trip, and she will also perform other official duties in the United Kingdom.
In fact, Charles visited 45 Commonwealth countries as early as his time as Prince of Wales, and last year he visited the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, Egypt, with Camilla.
The current Prince William of Wales and his wife Kate Middleton will also play an important role in the royal family, and they will travel to the United States next month to participate in William's Earth Prize environmental program.
It is worth noting that the previously rumored "royal streamlining plan" has now been canceled by King Charles, although this plan was once one of the things he most wanted to do after taking over. According to the Daily Express, King Charles believes after reflection that the original number of senior royals should be retained, after all, with the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the withdrawal of Prince Andrew, and the death of Prince Philip and the Queen, the serving royal family can no longer be streamlined.
At present, the royal family members who are still performing royal duties are King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, as well as Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.
And since Charles ascended the throne, his influence has also soared as expected. It was also recently reported that King Charles's painting of his late mother's summer castle was sold at auction for £5,738 (about 46,765 yuan), eight times higher than the initial estimate.
Charles depicts Fort Balmoral and the surrounding Scottish countryside in this painting and signs "Charles 2001" in pencil. The popularity of the painting even the auction staff was "unbelievable", after all, Charles' paintings used to sell for only £400 and no more than £800 at most.
Hamish Wilson, the auction house's curator, explained that there was a "special resonance" behind the work, combining the king's passion for painting and his deep affection for Scotland, combined with recent events, so it was no surprise that it had such a high response and appeal.
Image source: Daily Star, Bing