His Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales was hosted at the Royal Palace for tea by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Peter, David Andrews and Alison Andrews.
The Prince and the Royal Family met in the Blue Salon of the Royal Palace, after which Their Royal Highnesses continued their conversation in a family atmosphere. This meeting is very important for Crown Prince Alexander and the Prince of Wales, whose ancestors in the last century on several occasions visited the Royal Palace. The Crown Prince gave Prince Charles an icon of Saint George, the patron saint of England, and the best wines from the Royal Vineyards in Oplenac. Crown Princess Katherine prepared a handmade Serbian shawl and handbag for the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Prince of Wales took a short tour of the Royal and the White Palace, where he had the opportunity to see the exhibition “Two Royal Families – Historical Ties” about the relations between the British Royal Family and the Serbian Royal Family.
In the past at the request of Crown Princess Katherine the Prince of Wales gave to the Princess Katherine Foundation an autoclave steriliser for the Gynaecological Clinic within the Clinical Centre of Serbia. This valuable donation was delivered by Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine, in the presence of the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Serbia.
The Royal Family Karadjordjevic has multiple family ties with the British Royal House of Windsor. These family ties are on the side of the Windsors, the family of Queen Elizabeth II and on the side of her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The kinship between the Serbian and the British Royal Family began with the marriage of King Alexander I and Romanian Princess Maria after the First World War. The future Queen Maria was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Crown Prince Alexander is also related to the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, through his mother, Queen Alexandra, who was the daughter of the Greek King Alexander, the uncle of Prince Philip.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the mother of the Prince of Wales) is the godmother of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander, together with her father, the British King George VI. The godfather at the baptism of the Crown Prince’s father, His Majesty King Peter II, was the British King George V and the King’s Envoy to the baptism in Belgrade was the future British King George VI (the father of Queen Elizabeth and the grandfather of the Prince of Wales). Crown Prince Alexander’s grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Maria was the great-granddaughter of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and the Prince Charles were also together at Gordonstoun School in Scotland.
Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine will attend tonight the State Dinner at the Home of the Guard, in honour of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Their Royal Highnesses were invited to the reception Thursday 17 March at the Parliament given by the Speaker of the House Mrs Maja Gojkovic and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, but regret they cannot attend since they will be flying that night to Cape Town South Africa. They will be guests of former President F.W. de Klerk of South Africa for his 80th birthday Friday 18 March. They were guests ten years ago for the President’s 70th birthday party when Nelson Mandela was present.