The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday begin their first major overseas tour since the pandemic began with a trip to Jordan.

Charles and Camilla have been asked by the Government to visit the Middle East country and will also tour Egypt over the next four days.

The overseas visit comes after an eventful period for the royal family with senior members of the monarchy taking part in the recent Cop26 UN climate change conference and concerns being raised about the Queen’s health after she suffered a back injury.

Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary to the prince, has said climate change would be one of the main themes of the visit, and other issues would include inter-faith dialogue, female empowerment and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Mr Fitzgerald said: “The first royal tour in almost two years will come at a significant moment in the UK’s relationship with both countries.

“Their royal highnesses will first travel to Jordan, where they will celebrate both Jordan’s own centenary and 100 years of the UK-Jordan bilateral relationship.

“Their royal highnesses’ visit to Egypt comes as the UK holds the Cop presidency and Egypt has been nominated to assume the Cop27 presidency in 2022.

“In this decisive decade for climate action, the next 12 months is therefore expected to see a significant co-operation between the UK and Egypt. Indeed, both visits will have a major focus on addressing the climate crisis.”

The royal family have close ties with many of the ruling families of the Middle East, including Jordan.

The Duchess of Cambridge “loved” living in Jordan as a young child, according to her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, after her father Michael, then a British Airways manager, moved to the capital, Amman, in 1984 for work and took his family.

During their visit to Jordan, Charles will meet humanitarian groups including the UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee, which he supports as patron, and he will highlight the nation’s role in sheltering 650,000 registered Syrian refugees and more than two million Palestinians.

Camilla will learn about the work of Queen Rania, wife of the ruling King Abdullah II, protecting vulnerable children and mothers and she will take part in a Women of the World event, promoting the empowerment of women.