HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Princess Danica attended a Royal Dinner held in the ceremonial hall of St. Nicholas Church in Chicago, which brought together numerous representatives of the Serbian community from the United States. The gathering was hosted by the parish of St. Nicholas Church, headed by Father Nemanja Tešić.
At the very beginning of the evening, after the entrance of the Princely Couple, the original version of the Serbian anthem “God of Justice” was played, as well as the anthem of the United States of America, after which His Grace Bishop of Kostajnica, G. Seraphim, Vicar Bishop of His Eminence Archbishop Longin of Novogračanica and Chicago and Metropolitan of the Midwest America.
During the evening, the Serbian Camp project was presented, which the Royal Foundation implements in cooperation with the Serbian Times media house, with the aim of connecting children from the Serbian diaspora with their peers from Serbia through joint educational, cultural and spiritual programs.
Addressing those present, Hereditary Prince Philip expressed his gratitude to the Serbian community in Chicago for their commitment to preserving national identity, faith, language and tradition. “When you come to Chicago and see this community, our churches, organisations, families, and so many young people gathered around their heritage, you can’t help but feel proud. Not only because of what Serbs have created here, but also because of the love for their origins that lasts thousands of kilometres from their homeland”.
Princess Danica presented the idea and genesis of the Serbian Camp project, emphasising that the inspiration came from previous programs supporting children from Kosovo and Metohija and connecting them with their peers from central Serbia. “It has been shown that the friendships, acquaintances, and life lessons that children gain through such programs are of lasting value. This is exactly what encouraged us to launch Serbian Camp, as a way to connect children from the diaspora with children in the homeland and together preserve our culture, language, tradition, spirituality, and history.”
The first camp is planned to be held next summer in Vrnjačka Banja, where children from different parts of the world will have the opportunity to meet, learn and create lasting friendships.
The Royal Dinner was attended by numerous representatives of the Serbian community, including descendants of officers of the former Yugoslav Royal Army. The program was enriched by performances by Serbian artists from Chicago, the ensembles “Sestre Radović”, “Oko sokolovo” and “Zlatni vez”.
After the program, Crown Prince Philip and Princess Danica spent time talking with those present and took photos with numerous guests, once again confirming the close connection of the Royal Family with the Serbian people in their homeland and abroad.
