King could speak at Mid-East climate summit after No 10 nod

THE King is planning to head to the Middle East to make a major speech on the climate crisis — a year after he was blocked by No 10 from attending the COP27 summit in Egypt

- Robert Jobson 

Close sources say Rishi Sunak has provisionally sanctioned the monarch’s trip to address other world leaders on the climate emergency at COP28 in Dubai at the end of next month. It comes after then prime minister Liz Truss effectively told the King to abandon his plans to attend COP27, just after his accession. Following Ms Truss’s resignation after just 49 days, her replacement attended the summit in Egypt in November after initially deciding to stay at home.

A senior source told the Standard: “It is the King’s intention to attend and speak at COP28. Obviously, the wider region is deteriorating dangerously and is extremely volatile, so plans can change.”