Prince Charles to visit Sri Lanka from 14-16 November

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Sri Lanka from Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th November, the British High Commission in Colombo confirmed in a statement today.

The Prince of Wales will officially represent The Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo. The Prince is representing The Queen for the first time.

Both The Prince and The Duchess will attend the official opening ceremony and a dinner, hosted by The Prince, for Commonwealth Heads of Government.

In addition, The Prince will hold a small number of meetings with Commonwealth Heads and others on issues of key importance to the Summit.

British media reported that although he is not expected to raise the issue of human rights during his three-day visit to the island, The Prince may inquire on the delay in proceeding with the murder trial of British Red Cross worker Khuram Shaikh.

While in Sri Lanka, The Prince and The Duchess will also carry out a programme of official engagements including a visit to a mental health initiative, a hospital and a tea estate.

The Prince of Wales, who turns 65 during his tour to India prior to visiting Sri Lanka, will celebrate his birthday at a reception in Colombo on November 14, London Telegraph reported.

The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall will spend nine days in India before travelling to Sri Lanka. Prince Charles last visited Sri Lanka in 2005 in the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami.

The Executive Council Meeting will be conducted at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. Prime Minister of Australia, the current Chair, will preside over this event.

Officially commencing on November 15th, the opening ceremony will be held on 15th November at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre while most of the summit will be held at the BMICH from November 15 - 17. The Heads of government retreat will be held at the Waters Edge in Battaramulla.

The Commonwealth Youth Forum will be held from 10-14 November in the International Convention Centre in Hambantota while the Commonwealth Business Forum will take place at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo from 12 -14 November.