Greece tie triggers discussions

King Charles III. - Greece tie triggers discussions

King Charles III (75) apparently stepped on some people's toes with his choice of tie and pocket square at the climate conference in Dubai on Friday. On Friday, the monarch appeared in Dubai wearing a light blue tie that bore an unmistakable resemblance to the Greek flag. The matching handkerchief in light blue and white was also clearly reminiscent of the official colors of the EU country.

In the British media, this appearance - during which he also met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (43) on the sidelines of COP28 - caused some British commentators to gasp, as his choice of clothing may have been a statement and therefore an unwelcome interference in a current political dispute between the British and Greek governments.

Sunak recently canceled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis (55), taking a dispute to an unprecedented level of escalation. The two countries are fighting over the return of the so-called Parthenon Frieze, a relief that was originally Greek. The south-eastern European country has been seeking the return of 56 marble frieze pieces, which are currently in the British Museum in London, for many years.

This is why Greece and Great Britain are fighting over the Parthenon frieze

These were cut from the outside of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in the 19th century on behalf of the then British ambassador in Athens and brought to Great Britain with the permission of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled there at the time. To this day, Greece regards the frieze in British hands as stolen property and persistently demands its return. London, on the other hand, refers to the deal made with the Ottoman Empire at the time and openly admits that the marble slabs were acquired legally. Sunak exacerbated the dispute on Wednesday by accusing Mitsotakis of "acting out" during his trip to London over the frieze ownership issue.

What you need to know in this context: King Charles III is of Greek descent on his father's side. His father, Prince Philip (1921-2021), was born on the Greek island of Corfu and was part of the Greek branch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a collateral line of the German-Danish House of Oldenburg. Charles and the former Greek King Constantine II (1940-2023) were therefore second cousins, as their grandfathers Andrew of Greece (1882-1944) and King Constantine I (1868-1923) were brothers.

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1. The EU and Greece were unsettled by King Charles III's choice of tie and pocket square, which closely resembled the Greek and EU flags, during the climate conference in Dubai, potentially sending a political message and exacerbating tensions between the two nations.
2. The strain between Greece and Great Britain was further evident when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to meet with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leading to an unprecedented escalation in their dispute over the Parthenon Frieze.
3. The frieze, a relief originally cut from the Parthenon temple in Athens, was taken to the British Museum in London with the Ottoman Empire's permission in the 19th century. However, Greece asserts that the frieze is stolen property and continues to demand its return, while the UK maintains that the acquisition was legal.
4. The ongoing tussle between Greece and Great Britain over the Parthenon Frieze gained momentum when Sunak accused Mitsotakis of making dramatic gestures over the issue during his recent visit to London, leading to further aggravation.
5. In the midst of these diplomatic challenges, King Charles III, who shares Greek heritage through his father's lineage, faced scrutiny for his clothing choice during the Dubai climate conference, potentially adding fuel to the already tense relations.
6. As the climate conference in Dubai concluded, the ties between both nations remain at odds, with the Parthenon Frieze issue still unresolved, and King Charles III's fashion choice becoming a point of contention in the broader context of the strained relationship between Greece and Great Britain.

Source: www.stern.de