King Charles III, whose coronation takes place today, May 6, is an admirer of Greece and a staunch Philhellene.
His Majesty has visited Greece several times, the most recent being in March 2021, when he attended the bicentennial of the Greek War of Independence celebrations.
During a speech at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, he paid a touching tribute to the historic ties between the U.K. and Greece.
He said he was “delighted” to be back in Greece, which has long held the most special place in his heart.
Charles: Greece can count on her friends in the UK
He added 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.”
Charles: We are all Greeks
In a previous visit to Greece in 2018, Charles hailed the traditionally close ties between the UK and Greece and highlighted Greece’s role in the world by saying: “We are all Greeks”.
“We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their root in Greece,” he said.
Meeting the head of Greece’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, Charles recalled that he has visited Mount Athos and its monasteries several times. “And having done this, I have gained a special appreciation for the traditions of the Orthodox Church.”
When Prince Charles said that Greece is in his blood upon his first official visit to the country, he was not just speaking metaphorically, as both his father and grandfather were born in Greece.
The grandfather of the Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, was born at Tatoi Palace, on the outskirts of Athens in 1882. His father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born on the island of Corfu, at Mon Repos Palace, in 1921.
Charles officially proclaimed King
In the first twenty-four hours or so after his mother’s death, Charles was officially proclaimed King. This happened at St. James’s Palace in London in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council.
This is made up of members of the Privy Council—a group of senior MPs, past and present, and peers—as well as some senior civil servants, Commonwealth high commissioners, and the Lord Mayor of London.
There is no “swearing-in” at the start of a British monarch’s reign in the style of some other heads of state, such as the President of the US. But there is a declaration made by the new King and—in line with a tradition dating from the early 18th century—he made an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.
After a fanfare of trumpeters, a public proclamation was made from a balcony above Friary Court in St. James’s Palace declaring Charles as the new king.
An official called: “God save the King,” and for the first time since 1952, when the national anthem was played, the words were “God Save the King.”
Gun salutes were fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London, and from naval ships, and the proclamation announcing Charles as the King was read in in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.
Related: Prince Charles and his Roots in Greece
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