Are you as well travelled as the Queen? Here are the only 5 countries she’s yet to visit
When you’ve been alive for 92 years, it’s safe to say that you would have seen a lot in your lifetime. And when that 92-year-old is the Queen of England, then we can only assume that she’s seen every corner of the world. But believe it or not, that’s not the case. While the Queen is well travelled – 128 countries to be exact, there are still a few places that she has yet to explore.
One of the many perks of being a royal is that you frequently get to go on all-expenses-paid trips around the world. Vanuatu, Turks and Caicos, Yemen and Kiribati are just a few of the many countries she has visited. But what about the ones she has yet to explore? Here are a few of the countries the Queen is yet to visit:
Argentina
Argentina, home to good food and even better entertainment. So why hasn’t the Queen stepped foot inside the nation before? The answer is political conflicts. Argentina has been vocal in the past about their dislike for Queen Elizabeth II, especially after a part of Antarctica was named in honour of her majesty.
But despite this fact, there is one royal who has visited the country in the past, and that was Prince Philip in 1962.
Greece
While the Queen did make a trip to Greece in 1950, this was before she was appointed the royal title. After being crowned, she has never made a state visit to the country. Many find this alarming, as her husband, Prince Philip is a former Greek Prince. But the Prince does not share fond memories of the place, as his father was nearly executed, and a young Philip was forced into exile. The Duke does visit Greece at times, but it’s always a solo trip.
Israel
There are many obvious reasons as to why the Queen hasn’t visited either Israel or Palestine. One of them is security. Every visit made by the Queen must be approved by The Foreign Office, who advise ordinary travellers to be cautious when visiting the two countries, let alone someone as high profile as the Queen. There is also the war between the two countries over the rights of Jerusalem, and the Queen always avoids getting caught between political matters.
Cuba
While HRH has seen most of the Caribbean, she hasn’t seen all of it. Named “The Caribbean’s most fascinating country,” by Traveller expert Fred Mawer, Cuba is home to great entertainment, world-class cigars and Spanish architecture. But it’s also run on a communist system, and that, paired with security risks makes the Queen’s visit to the spectacular country unlikely.
Mongolia
The least populated country in the world is one of the 16 countries in Asia to never have welcomed the Queen. But while the monarch may not be paying a visit, you still can. If you prefer quiet relaxation over loud entertainment, then Mongolia should be next on your bucket list. Terry Richardson from Telegraph Travel speaks fondly of the country, saying “this enormous landlocked country of green steppe, vast flat plains, intricately braided rivers, electric-blue highland lakes, snow-licked mountains, dense pine forests and shifting desert is presided over by a skyscape of such bold blue immensity it beggar’s description. It’s not just vast; Mongolia is empty, too. Three times bigger than France, its population is less than a 20th of the UK's – and one in three people live in the nation's sole city, the capital Ulaan Baatar."
Have you visited any of these countries before? Let us know in the comments below.