The Prince of Wales has begun the most important foreign visit of his public career, travelling to Saudi Arabia and being hosted by the country’s controversial leader.
William began a three-day visit to the Gulf state, at the request of the Government, to strengthen ties with one of the UK’s closest Middle East allies and a major religious and political player in the region.
The future king will hold talks with Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, followed by a private dinner at his farm in a world Unesco site in the Saudi capital.
London and Riyadh are hopeful the two men, who have met before, will develop a connection – with any burgeoning relationship between the two royals likely to set the tone for Anglo-Saudi relations for decades to come.
But the crown prince – known as MBS – is a controversial figure to the West, the head of an absolute monarchy whose regime has been accused of human rights violations, while the ruler is alleged to have links to the killing of a journalist.
The Saudi ruler’s reputation was badly damaged by a US intelligence determination that claimed he had ordered the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
A source said about the Saudis: “They are delighted that he’s here.
“The fact that he’s a prince and the future king matters enormously. They want it to be a friendship that lasts.”
Ahead of the visit, the Prince and Princess of Wales issued their first public statement about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – which has seen William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, stripped of his titles after years of being dogged by sex allegations involving Epstein.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “I can confirm that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continued revelations.
“Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
The statement was issued a few hours ahead of the prince’s arrival in Riyadh, and there was a real sense from Kensington Palace they wanted the position of the prince and princess to be known – so William could focus on the trip.
But the Epstein scandal escalated after Thames Valley Police said it is assessing claims that Andrew shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy.
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