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Greece can count on deep friendship and strong ties with Great Britain, Prince Charles said in opposition. in the speech of the president of the republic in the Presidential Palace.
The Prince of Wales even closed his speech in Greek with the “awakening”, as he said “at the behest of Dionysios Solomos”: Hail, joy, Freedom.
The whole objection of Prince Charles is as follows:
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to begin by thanking you, Madam President, for the great joy and honor of being here tonight, in this wonderful national celebration.
It is a special joy for my wife and me to return to Greece, which has a special place in my heart. What’s more, Greece is my grandfather’s homeland and my father’s birthplace, almost a hundred years ago, on the centenary of the Greek Revolution. Later, in Athens, my beloved grandmother, Princess Alice, during the dark years of the Nazi occupation, rescued a Jewish family, an act by which Israel gave her the title of “Law of Nations.”
I feel one deep connection with Greece –its landscapes, its history and its culture– and I am not alone in this: a part of the essence of Greece is in all of us. As the source of Western culture, the spirit of Greece permeates our societies and democracies. Without Greece, our laws, our art, our way of life, would not have flourished.
Perhaps that is why in 1812 Lord Byron’s poem, “The Pilgrimage of Childe Harold,” in which he first championed the struggle for Greek self-determination, was so popular with European audiences. The Greek struggle was perceived, not as the persecution of a foreign people, but as our common struggle. As Percy Shelley, a friend of Byron’s, states in the foreword to the poem “Greece”: “We are all Greeks. “
Thus, in the pages of history, along with the Greek heroes of the revolution, the names of the British are recorded, who were deeply moved by this spirit of Philhellenism and participated in the struggle. Μtogether with Kolokotronis, Karaiskakis, Miaoulis, Kanaris and Bouboulina, we read about Gordon, Cochrane, George and Codrington.
Nevertheless, the triumph of Greece not because of a hero, but because of the extraordinary courage and bravery of his people, and what a British historian called divine flame that was lit in the soul of the Greeks». If it had not been for the determination of the Greek people to fight, in the face of terrible difficulties and in particularly adverse conditions, independence would never have been achieved.
During our last visit to Greece in 2018, in a speech he gave me in this room, I told the story of the warship “Carteria”, which was commissioned by Officer Hastings in an English shipyard, to help the Greeks in their fight. . Participating in the fleet of the revolutionary Greek Navy, the “Karteria” became the first steam warship to participate in hostilities and play a decisive role in the war.
“Endurance”, of course, it means perseverance or endurance. It was a very appropriate name for that time, which I think remains symbolic even today, in the desperately difficult years of the economic crisis and now in the midst of this terrible pandemic that has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of so many. I have great admiration for the vigor of the greek people and I am particularly moved by the remarkable resilience of the youth of Greece. I am especially proud that the Prince’s Trust International charity has succeeded in helping so many young people in Greece find work, train or start their own businesses, providing them with the equipment to use their potential and contribute to the prosperity and power of their country.
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen:
As we all work to rebuild our societies and our economies in a year of unthinkable change to put our world on a more sustainable trajectory, the courage, determination and expectations of 1821 could possibly be source of inspiration for us. Once again, the stakes cannot be higher. Our choices will determine the fate not only of our nations, but also of this unique planet that we share. For my part, to support this vital endeavor, I have worked with hundreds of CEOs to create a roadmap that will put people, the planet, and nature at the center of our economic transition. I called this plan “Terra Carta” and I am deeply moved by the fact that Athens wants to implement the ideas it contains.
Your Excellency – today, as in 1821, Greece can count on your friends in the UK. The ties between us are strong and vital and make a huge difference to our common prosperity and security. Just as our stories are closely intertwined, so is our future. In this spirit, tomorrow, his British friends will be by his side again and we will be very proud of the awakening of Dionysios Solomos:
Rejoice, oh, rejoice, freedom!
