Perrottet scrapped plan to meet with King Charles a month before he took the throne

Plans were “locked in” for Dominic Perrottet to meet then-Prince Charles in August as part of the Premier’s ill-fated trade tour. Here’s why they were scrapped.

Dominic Perrottet cancelled plans to meet with then-Prince Charles in August in a move which accidentally snubbed the man who would only a month later ascend the throne to be Australia’s King.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal King Charles – who was still the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne at the time – made time to meet with Mr Perrottet in the UK as part of the Premier’s ill-fated trade trip at the end of July.

But Mr Perrottet scrapped the offer from then-Prince Charles to meet, because it would have come at the end of a marathon trade tour across Japan, South Korea, and India.

Initial plans were in place to travel to the UK for a fourth leg of the trade tour.

But Mr Perrottet cancelled the UK visit during the early planning stages because the itinerary across the first three countries was already so full.

Dominic Perrottet had initially planned to visit the UK after the final leg of his trade tour, Bengaluru, pictured. Picture: Toby Zerna/Office of NSW Premier

It was decided that travelling to the UK after India would have been too logistically challenging particularly following a punishing schedule of meetings over the previous 10 days.

The trip ended up being derailed by the scandal over former Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum New York trade role.

The Premier accidentally snubbed King Charles III, who has great interest in social housing, a month before his ascension to the throne. Picture: Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP

The Telegraph has been told that there was a plan “locked in” for Mr Perrottet and now King Charles to visit a community development and discuss social and affordable housing.

Talks would have focused on a development that is currently being built in Sydney in collaboration with the Prince’s Trust – a charity founded by King Charles as Prince focused on “transforming lives and building sustainable communities”.

Despite the snub last month, it can be revealed that the Prince’s Trust will form a central part of the NSW flood recovery.

It is understood that at the Premier’s direction, the Planning Department has partnered with the Prince’s Trust to help the rebuild of Lismore, including work on design, energy and sustainability.

The Premier met with representatives of the Prince’s Trust in May.

In collaboration with the Trust, the NSW government is building an innovative project which will provide 75 specially-built social housing dwellings in Glebe by 2024. Construction is due to start later this year.

There have already been talks about King Charles opening the project if he visits NSW in 2024.

Premier Perrottet said NSW will continue to work with the Prince’s Trust on social housing. Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Monique Harmer

“Time constraints meant I didn’t travel to the UK and meet with the then Prince but I’m pleased we will continue our work with the Trust as we build more social housing homes in Sydney and help the vital rebuild in Lismore,” Mr Perrottet said.

A number of Liberals said it was “unfortunate” that the meeting with then-Prince Charles did not go ahead, but noted that the King has a deep interest in Australia and the work the Prince’s Trust is doing in NSW.

The overarching view was that the Premier should have been home to deal with the scandal over Trade Commissioner scandal.

It can also be revealed that when he met with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the sidelines of a Glasgow climate conference in 2021, King Charles mentioned Mr Perrottet and Cities Minister Rob Stokes to the former PM, asking how they were.

The comment was seen as an indication of the monarch’s interest in NSW’s work on planning and urban design.