King Charles and Queen Camilla are making a historic move with their upcoming visit to the State of Jersey, scheduled for July 15, while Princess Anne recovers from a recent incident.
In honor of their visit, the State of Jersey has declared Monday, July 15, a public holiday, allowing the island's residents to celebrate this rare and significant occasion. Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham described the event as "rare and historic," noting it will be the first time a reigning monarch has visited Jersey since Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 2005.
The public holiday will cost taxpayers approximately £700,000 in wages to cover civil servants taking the day off. Deputy David Warr expressed concerns about the financial impact on small businesses, stating, "When we ask businesses to close down for a day over and above those already allocated as bank holidays, with virtually no ability to plan, we immediately place a significant, additional, unbudgeted cost burden on our local businesses."
A public holiday has also been declared for Guernsey on July 16, coinciding with King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit there. This long weekend aligns with the final of the Euro 2024 football tournament. Following the visit, King Charles is set to deliver the King's Speech on July 17 as part of the State Opening of Parliament.
This visit comes five months after King Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February. Despite his diagnosis, the King remains active in his royal duties. In the Channel Islands, the British monarch is informally known as the "Duke of Normandy," a historical remnant from the Crown's jurisdiction over the former Duchy of Normandy.
Meanwhile, Princess Anne is recovering from minor injuries and a concussion sustained at her Gloucestershire estate on Sunday. Buckingham Palace confirmed the incident, stating, "The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery."
