Visits from the Windsors to the Falklands are not as frequent as to other British overseas territories, including Gibraltar. But now and then, a member of the British royal family sets foot on the archipelago over which Argentina also claims sovereignty in one of those entrenched geopolitical conflicts that even led to the so-called Falklands War in 1982.
This is what Princess Anne, the only sister of King Charles III, has just done, as she will tour much of the territory starting this Monday, including the South Georgia Islands, also washed by the Atlantic. As always in these cases, the Argentine government considers the royal visit a provocation. This coincides with Buenos Aires' request this Tuesday at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg to cease the activities of companies to which the United Kingdom has granted licenses to exploit hydrocarbons in the southwestern Atlantic, arguing that they were granted "unilaterally" and in a way that exacerbates the dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Specifically, Argentina is very concerned about the Sea Lion project, a British-Israeli oil exploitation initiative.
The field in question was discovered in 2010 and is located approximately 220 kilometers north of the Falkland Islands - or Falklands for the British. The project was promoted by the Israeli company Navitas Petroleum and the British company Rockhopper Exploration. According to reports at the time, it would have an estimated potential of about 1.7 billion barrels of oil, "highly marketable crude," according to the two mentioned corporations.
In the first session at the aforementioned International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the legal advisor of Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mario Javier Agustín Oyarzábal, stated that his country has repeatedly sought cooperation with the United Kingdom, which, "instead of cooperating, granted exploration licenses unilaterally," Efe reports. Oyarzábal recalled that London and Buenos Aires signed a joint declaration in 1995 on cooperation in maritime activities in the southwestern Atlantic, but argued that the United Kingdom has strayed from its intent, as the licenses granted, including for the Sea Lion field, exacerbate the dispute between the British and Argentines over the Falkland Islands. "It takes two to tango, but the United Kingdom prefers to dance alone," lamented the lawyer.
For its part, the United Kingdom rejects that the Hamburg Tribunal has jurisdiction to examine the Argentine claim over the sovereignty of the Falklands and reiterated on Tuesday that it will defend its right to carry out oil drilling in waters near the disputed islands.
Whether aware of this issue or not, Princess Anne arrived on site on Monday, accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence. According to the program released by Buckingham Palace, the visit is part of the king's sister's role as patron of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting the historical heritage and environment of South Georgia.
During her stay in the Falklands, the princess plans to meet with members of the local community and visit the Cape Pembroke lighthouse, the Tussac House facilities, and the recently inaugurated National Sports Complex. She will also participate in a reception at the Governor's House, alongside local authorities.
The itinerary throughout the week also includes a tour of the British military base at Mount Pleasant, located about 60 kilometers from Port Stanley. A tribute at the monument to British combatants who died during the 1982 war is also planned, an activity that was part of her previous visit.
In fact, Princess Anne last traveled to the Falklands in November 2022, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of what London and the Falkland authorities call "the liberation" of the islands. The Argentine government condemned that visit and reiterated, in vain, its call to London to resume sovereignty negotiations over the islands in compliance with UN resolution 2065 and other General Assembly resolutions and its Special Committee on Decolonization.
Previously, in 2016, Prince William, the eldest son of then-Heir Charles, spent six weeks receiving military training in the archipelago.
Until his fall from grace, if there was a member of the British royal family linked to the Falklands, it was Prince Andrew, who participated in that war in 1982, making him, in the eyes of the British, a military hero for a long time. The press also portrayed him as a playboy, which even enhanced his aura.
Queen Elizabeth II never set foot in the Falklands. The episode in April 1982 is well known when then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher went to Buckingham to inform the sovereign that she had decided to send the fleet to reclaim the Falklands. The queen asked her several questions that boiled down to one: "What are the chances of failure?" The Iron Lady's response must have reassured her: "None."
In recent months, with Javier Milei in the Argentine Presidency, the diplomatic crisis between Buenos Aires and London over the Falklands has intensified. In September, the always irascible leader warned of sanctions against companies exploiting natural resources in the islands, following bombastic sovereignty declarations about them. During those days, the United Kingdom also received a slap from Donald Trump, who described the British position of maintaining sovereignty as "a potential disaster" and drew an equivalence between London's stance and Buenos Aires', stating that "neither is happy."
To date, Washington has always supported British sovereignty over the archipelago. London, in fact, had significant support from Ronald Reagan during the 1982 war. However, recently, the Trump Administration has suggested on various occasions that it is "reviewing" its official position on the Falklands.