King Charles made a surprising reference to Greek Orthodoxy during his Christmas message watched by millions in the UK.
He spoke bout his “life-long wish” to visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity which he eventually fulfilled in January 2020.
As he spoke, images of the King with Orthodox priests and the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, appeared on TV sets around the UK.
Charles III is a well-known lover of Greece, a philhellene and regular visitor. He was present and gave a speech during last year’s events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, and it is known that he often visits Mount Athos away from luxuries and the limelight.
King Charles and his reference to Orthodoxy
It was a long-awaited first Christmas message from the new monarch. After an extensive reference to the loss of Elizabeth and his father, Prince Philip of Greece, Charles had the following to say:
“Some years ago, I was able to fulfill a life-long wish to visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.
“There, I went down into the Chapel of the Manger and stood in silent reverence by the silver star that is inlaid on the floor and marks the place of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth.
“It meant more to me than I can possibly express to stand on that spot where, as the Bible tells us, ‘the light that has come into the world’ was born.
“While Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief.”
When King Charles—then 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.
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