The Prince of Wales is set to join some of his European royal counterparts as he heads overseas to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Prince William, 41, will attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mur, alongside 25 heads of state and veterans from around the world on 6 June.
Joining the father-of-three at the service will be King Frederik of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
Earlier in the day, King Charles and Queen Camilla will be at the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion’s event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, while William will attend the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer.
The Princess of Wales is not expected to join her husband in France amid her cancer treatment.
Teaming up with the European royals
William and Kate have enjoyed meetings with some of the European royals in recent years, and share a particular warm friendship with King Frederik and Queen Mary.
While Kate and Mary are often compared because of their brunette locks and similar sense of style, they also share some of the same interests with their royal work.
Queen Mary established her own foundation to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in 2007, while the Princess of Wales launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021, which focuses on the impact of the early years on later life.
The two royal ladies joined forces in Denmark in February 2022, when Kate accompanied Mary on a visit to the Danner Crisis Centre, which helps women and children affected by domestic violence.
The British royal couple were also reunited with the Danish royals at a Buckingham Palace reception the night before King Charles’ coronation.
The Prince and Princess of Wales also held a meeting with Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit at Windsor Castle in March 2023, having also carried out a royal tour to Norway in 2018.
Kate’s first ever solo trip abroad in 2016 saw her fly to the Netherlands, where she met King Willem-Alexander for lunch. The Dutch royals also enjoyed a state visit to the UK during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in 2018.
And in 2017, William and Kate joined the Belgian royals at commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
Royal engagements postponed
The royal family has postponed engagements “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign” after Rishi Sunak called a surprise summer General Election for 4 July.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Following the Prime Minister’s statement this afternoon calling a General Election, the royal family will, in accordance with normal procedure, postpone engagements that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign. Their Majesties send their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result.”
While the D-Day commemorations on 5 and 6 June and Trooping the Colour on 15 June are expected to go ahead as planned, there is no confirmation as to whether the upcoming Japanese state visit, which was previously postponed due to the pandemic, will still happen in late June.