Prince Charles and President of France Emmanuel Macron will lead a host of foreign dignitaries that will be coming to Greece for the bicentennial of the War of Independence on March 25.
They will be joined by their wives, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Brigitte Macron.
Among the foreign dignitaries that will attend the military parade in the center of Athens will be the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin as well as the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades.
The traditional parade, which was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus lockdown, this year will take place with all the necessary restrictions.
Greece had extended invitations to the leaders of the U.K., France and Russia because of their countries’ historic role in the Greek war of Independence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was unable to attend, but Russia will be represented by its Prime Minister.
The three great powers took part in the Battle of Navarino against the Ottoman Navy, which took place on October 20, 1827.
Prince Charles’ strong ties to Greece
Last year, Prince Charles wrote that Greece was “very much part of my identity” and he spoke of how his own connections to the country have “a particular resonance for me.”
“It is the land of my grandfather,” he wrote in an article for a Greek newspaper, referring to the Duke of Edinburgh’s father, Prince Andrea of Greece and Denmark, who was a son of King George I of Greece.
Prince Philip himself was born on the Greek island of Corfu, but the family was forced into exile shortly after he was born, and Philip fled with his mother and sisters in 1922.
Charles and Camilla were last in Greece during a three-day tour of the country in 2018, shortly before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.
They visited Athens and the historic Knossos archaeological site on the island of Crete.
Battle of Navarino
An Ottoman armada which, in addition to imperial warships, included squadrons from the eyalets (provinces) of Egypt and Tunis, was destroyed by an Allied force of British, French and Russian warships.
It was the last major naval battle in history to be fought entirely with sailing ships, although most ships fought at anchor. The Allies’ victory was achieved through superior firepower and gunnery.
The Greek Revolution was viewed sympathetically by many European powers and especially the people of France, Britain, and Russia, which sent considerable forces to assist the revolt in Greece.
Russia and the Battle of Navarino
In October of 2020, The Russian Foreign Ministry had chosen to commemorate the 193rd anniversary of the Battle of Navarino with an anniversary post, which may also contain a hidden message to Turkey.
The Foreign Ministry posted on its official Twitter account a video dedicated to the battle, which, through the sinking of the Ottoman fleet, led a bit later to the recognition of the independence of Greece after hundreds of years of Turkish occupation.
The video posted shows the sinking of Ottoman ships.
⚔⛵ 193 years ago, the combined squadron of Russia, Great Britain and France defeated the Turkish-Egyptian fleet in the Bay of Navarino. The triumph of the allied fleet became one of the prerequisites for Greece's independence.
🔗https://t.co/Z2yhD6ltE3 pic.twitter.com/ruBDflldwB
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) October 20, 2020
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