Media: New King Charles III rules the UK and keeps Greece in his heart

The United Kingdom’s new King Charles III, whose father Prince Philip was born in Corfu in Greece and was Prince of Greece and Denmark, has had a long affinity for Greece, visited often, and has said it’s one of his favorite places.
His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II made only one trip to Greece – while still a Princess – but her son, and now King, said Greece had a special place for him as the country of some of his ancestors and he recently was on Corfu.
It’s an island he has spent time on before for many years but not the only place in the country to which he goes, having been on Crete in 2018 and his wife Camilla, where they joined in Cretan dancing in traditional dress.
They also visited the Knossos Archaeological site – the site of the Greek legend of King Minos – and then went to see stalls showing off Cretan products, displaying a genuine interest more than a royal duty.
In March 2021, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence and freedom from Turkish rule, they came to Athens, and speaking at the Presidential Mansion in Athens he remarked as well on his love for Greece.
He said that “Today, as in 1821, Greece can count on her friends in the United Kingdom. The ties between us are strong and vital, and make a profound difference to our shared prosperity and security.
“In feeling a profound connection to Greece—her landscapes, her history, and her culture—I am hardly alone: there is something of her essence in us all,” he said. “As the wellspring of Western civilization, Greece’s spirit runs through our societies and our democracies. Without her, our laws, our art, our way of life, would never have flourished as they have.”
At the dinner at the Presidential Palace, he exclaimed: “Hail, oh, joy, freedom! Long live Greece!”
“It is a special joy for my wife and me that we are returning to Greece, which has a special place in my heart. After all, Greece is my grandfather’s homeland and my father’s birthplace, almost a hundred years ago, on the centenary of the Greek Revolution. Later, in Athens, my dear grandmother, Princess Alice, during the dark years of the Nazi occupation, saved a Jewish family – an act for which she was awarded the title of ‘Righteousness of the Nations’ by Israel,” said Charles
It reminded of his visit three years earlier when, echoing a famed quote by 19th-Century English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, he acknowledged the debt Western Civilization owed Greece, remarking that, “We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their roots in Greece.”
He met the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church and noted that he had also visited Mt. Athos and its monasteries several times, not just once as most visitors do to the far-flung area.
“And having done this, I have gained a special appreciation for the traditions of the Orthodox Church,” he said. The ties to Greece include the birth of his grandfather at the Tatoi Palace on Mt. Parnitha, 17 miles from Athens and where many members of the Royal Family are buried.
The site in.gr noted that he explained his fascination with Greece during his visit in 2018, saying: “I distinctly remember my first visit to Greece about 50 years ago … for me this first visit as well as all the subsequent ones I was lucky enough to make brought to life the fascinating stories about the beauty of the country and the character of the Greeks that I had heard growing up.”
He began his visits in 1964, noted the site Fourals, the first official trip on Nov. 22, 1998, just 14 months after the death of his first wife, Princess Diana, in an automobile accident while the car she was in was being chased by paparazzi in Paris, smashing in a tunnel.
When he came to Athens as part of the Britain and Greece Festival, he remarked again at the glory he saw and why it had touched him so.
“This is the first opportunity I have been given in many years to see Athens, both ancient and modern. I really appreciate this opportunity, for example, to see the Acropolis and the neoclassical heritage of Athens, as well as what you are doing to help the modern city develop in harmony with the old one.”
Read more at thenationalherald.com
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
03/02 15:25
Cyprus and Egypt FMs talk further enhancing trilateral collaboration with Greece
03/02 15:21
AP report: Olympic flame to take seaborne journey from Greece to 2024 Paris Games
03/02 15:06
Tourism 2023 | Greece among 10 preferred European destinations for long-haul travelers
03/02 12:01
03/02 11:18
FinMin: Extrajudicial Debt Settlement Mechanism functioning satisfactorily in Greece
02/02 23:16
Geneva court: Fifteen antiquities on their way back to Greece from Switzerland
02/02 23:11
Public Health Organization says fall in Covid infections in weekly report
02/02 22:54
National Observatory: January 2023 one of the warmest on record in Greece
02/02 22:41
Greece-India relations promoted with visit of State Minister to Athens
02/02 22:25
Media report: The old Hilton in Athens will transform into new hotel Conrad
02/02 21:47
Hoteliers' Association of Athens and Attica: 2022 occupancy high, but lower than 2019
02/02 20:35
Smart Attica Digital Innovation Hub for Greece launched at Demokritos center
02/02 19:00
Berlin minister: Greece is ahead of Germany in digitization of public services
02/02 17:06
Greece rises nine places on the Economist’s Democracy Index for 2022
02/02 07:19
EFSF greenlights eighth reduction of step-up interest margin for Greece
01/02 23:24
National Archaeological Museum will host 125,000 ancient treasures in Athens
01/02 19:14
Cyprus and Greece sign deal on mutual academic recognition of university degrees
01/02 18:34
IOBE report: Greek economic sentiment index rose to 104.9 points in January
01/02 18:04
Greece and Japan ink MoC on improving business networking and investments
01/02 17:11
Eurostat report: Greek inflation rate to slow down to 7.2% in January
01/02 15:46
Greek Foreign Minister received United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Athens
01/02 14:20
01/02 10:59
Greece reaches target of slashing road fatalities by over 50% in 2020
01/02 09:31
One bid for long-term lease of Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center property
31/01 23:07
Historic First Synaxis of Orthodox Hierarchs of Ecumenical Patriarchate in USA
31/01 19:13
‘Friends of the Kastro of Siphnos’ host gathering in Greek capital of Athens
31/01 19:10
Bank of Greece: Demand for loans by Greek enterprises to increase in Q1
31/01 18:45
Greece wins "Best Tourism Destination for 2023" title at Grand Travel Awards
31/01 18:17
UNWTO announces winning start-ups for global "Awake Tourism Challenge"
31/01 16:55
Extra four flights from Belgrade to Greek tourism destinations this year
31/01 15:59
Foreign Minister: Greece and Israel forged enduring partnership at strategic level
31/01 15:55
Revenue from tourism at €2.4 billion in Cyprus for Jan-Nov 2022
31/01 14:22
Prime Minister: Greece is now an attractive destination for foreign investments
31/01 13:04
Athens taxi drivers stage downtown protest over ‘pauperization cocktail’
31/01 12:50
Electricity subsidy set at 40 euros per MWh for Greek households in February
31/01 00:11
Booking.com: Greek region of Epirus among most welcoming places on earth
30/01 22:22
Credit ratings agency Fitch upgrades credit rating of three systemic Greek banks
30/01 19:11
Greek Foreign Affairs Minister to visit officially Israel on Tuesday
30/01 18:26
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to get plenty of funding in Greece
30/01 17:15
Traditional Greek handicrafts get their own museum in the center of Athens
30/01 16:21
Greek PM and Japanese counterpart sign Joint Statement of Strategic Cooperation
30/01 11:39
Four Greek ports get European Union financing for infrastructure upgrades
30/01 11:27
29/01 00:33
Israeli Ambassador at Economist event: Greece-Israel relations at their highest point
29/01 00:00
Ambassador to Athens: Even more United States investments coming to Greece
28/01 14:14
Finance Minister at Economist event: Greece has turned a page
28/01 14:11
Private sector deposits up by 5 billion euros in Greece during December
28/01 14:06
Ambassador to Athens: Greek and American interests are identical
28/01 13:59
Fitch upgrades Greece's credit to BB+ a mere one step below investment grade
28/01 09:03
27/01 15:09
Minister: Crete plays a key role in Greece's new and active foreign policy
27/01 14:48
Greek Tourism Minister: In 2023, direct flights from the USA will bring over €1 billion
27/01 13:01
SNF support assists students put affordable housing theory into practice
27/01 10:57
Hellenic Parliament displays slogan 'We remember' for Holocaust victims
27/01 09:03
EU Commission calls on six member states to apply nvironmental directives
26/01 21:58
26/01 21:53
Finance Minister presents six priorities of Greek economy to ESM's new head
26/01 21:47
Monica Bellucci at Greek Consulate in New York to promote "Maria Callas" movie
26/01 19:23
New European Union rules for drone traffic management come into effect on Thursday
26/01 18:43
Supreme Court hears arguments between funds and defaulted borrowers in Greece
26/01 18:12
Drop in coronavirus and flu infections agency records in weekly report
26/01 12:33
Stormy weather warning sent to residents of Attica region via 112 phone line
26/01 09:27
Flights extended from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to Mykonos and Santorini islands
26/01 08:38
Athens to host two European football finals over the coming 16 months
26/01 07:16
All 22 flights to and from Cyprus to be affected by Thursday's island-wide strike
26/01 03:19
Media report: Hamptons to bring New York-style luxury to Northern Greece
26/01 03:12
Greece to transform "green" commercial shipping fleet with new fund
26/01 03:01
AIRDNA: Average price of Airbnb in Greece at €193 in 2022 up by 35% from 2019
25/01 20:50
1.7 million pensioners to see 7.75% pension rise in Greece this month
25/01 19:46
IATA welcomes restoration of ‘Class A’ ATC services over Somalia airspace
25/01 19:34
Greek FM: MoU with Mozambique opens communication between the two countries
25/01 17:53
UNWTO and partners advance shared accessibility agenda for tourism industry
25/01 17:16
Dangerous weather warning sent to residents of Greece's Achaia via 112 phone line
25/01 16:07
Quake near Greek island of Rhodes had a magnitude of 5.9 Richter
25/01 13:57
INSIDE-A six-hour visual meditation event in the Athens Concert Hall
24/01 21:30
Passenger traffic in summer 2022 rises 4% from 2019 at 24 Greek airports
24/01 21:04
Greek Foreign MInister concludes Johannesburg visit before heading to Mozambique
24/01 19:37
Mexico's Yucatán State joins global Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories
24/01 18:44
24/01 18:00
Deal for the operation of the WHO Office in Cyprus to be inked on Friday
24/01 17:13
Finance Minister: Greek government secured rise in households' income
24/01 17:08
First credits on market pass cards handed out in Greece by March 3
24/01 16:56
24/01 15:46
Media report: Pistachios from Greek Island of Aegina are top in the world
24/01 11:23
Irish writer claims tourism and development may be the end of Corfu island
23/01 23:32
Report: Athens’ Lycabettus Hill offers stunning views of Acropolis, Saronic Gulf
23/01 22:56
IATA: Aviation welcomes pause on roll-out of new border system for EU
23/01 19:48
Shipping Minister hails Royal Caribbean’s plans to open office in Cyprus
23/01 19:29
Culture Minister: Deal on Parthenon Marbles' return 'difficult, but not impossible'
23/01 16:28
Bank of Greece: Travel receipts soar by 68.5% during January - November 2022
23/01 15:44
Greek Prime Minister: Greece's image abroad is now very positive
23/01 14:23
23/01 14:00
E-car subsidy program underway in Greece with 10,500 filed applications
23/01 12:40
Solar power capacity projected to increase further in Greece during 2023
22/01 14:07
Greek soprano featured in tribute to legendary Maria Callas in Athens
22/01 13:08
Greek Prime Minister in Davos: We will not go to war with Turkey (video)
22/01 10:07
Greek Minister briefs 27 ambassadors on effective protection of EU's borders
22/01 09:01
7.75% hike will start being paid out with February's pension checks in Greece
21/01 23:23
UNWTO at FITUR 2023: Investing in a diverse, sustainable future for tourism sector
21/01 22:10
Significant reduction in power bills coming in Greece during February
Berlin minister: Greece is ahead of Germany in digitization of public services
Geneva court: Fifteen antiquities on their way back to Greece from Switzerland
Greece-India relations promoted with visit of State Minister to Athens
Greece rises nine places on the Economist’s Democracy Index for 2022
Hoteliers' Association of Athens and Attica: 2022 occupancy high, but lower than 2019
Public Health Organization says fall in Covid infections in weekly report
Smart Attica Digital Innovation Hub for Greece launched at Demokritos center
National Observatory: January 2023 one of the warmest on record in Greece
Media report: The old Hilton in Athens will transform into new hotel Conrad
EFSF greenlights eighth reduction of step-up interest margin for Greece
Cyprus and Greece sign deal on mutual academic recognition of university degrees
UNWTO and partners advance shared accessibility agenda for tourism industry
Greek Foreign Minister received United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Athens
Eurostat report: Greek inflation rate to slow down to 7.2% in January
Deputy FM conveys best wishes for New Year to Greeks of Diaspora
Greece wins "Best Tourism Destination for 2023" title at Grand Travel Awards
Greek government lists items for 'shopping basket' with zero or low price hikes
National Archaeological Museum will host 125,000 ancient treasures in Athens
Ai Stratis to become the first completely green island in Greece
Electricity subsidy set at 40 euros per MWh for Greek households in February
Four Greek ports get European Union financing for infrastructure upgrades
Foreign Minister: Greece and Israel forged enduring partnership at strategic level