As King Charles and Queen Camilla concluded their trip to Australia, the King made a striking fashion choice by wearing a tie featuring the Greek flag, highlighting his strong Philhellenic feelings.
It was also perhaps a gesture to the Greek Australians, who according to the 2021 census number more than 420,000.
King Charles wore a tie with the Greek flag before
It is not the first time that King Charles wears a tie with the Greek flag. He paid a tribute to his late cousin former King of Greece Constantine in February this year wearing a tie covered in fluttering Greek flags.
He was also seen wearing a Greek flag tie at the COP28 summit in Dubai in late November 2023. The gesture came amid disagreements between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the Parthenon Sculptures.
King Charles, in addition to his tie, also wore a matching handkerchief when delivering a speech to the summit’s delegates from around the world. The King’s tie is thought to be crafted by Pagoni Maison des Cravates in Athens.
The gesture followed a high-profile diplomatic spat between Athens and Downing Street over the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures. Sunak accused Greece of “grandstanding” on the Parthenon sculptures issue during a recent diplomatic row and a last-minute meeting cancelation with Mitsotakis.
King Charles, Greece and Orthodoxy
King Charles has an affinity with Greece and the Greek Orthodox Church. During his recent battle with cancer he sought spiritual advice from his friend Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Greek Orthodox Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.
Abbot Ephraim is said to have told Greek media outlets: “Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he’ll overcome it. Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life.”
His coronation in May 2023 included Greek Orthodox chanting as a homage to the king’s late father, Prince Philip, who was born in Corfu and was a member of the former Greek royal family.
He was present at and gave a speech during, the events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, and it is known that he has often visited Mount Athos away from luxuries and the limelight.
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.
King Charles was the second cousin to the late ex-king Constantine through their fathers. Constantine’s father, King Paul of Greece, and the Duke of Edinburgh were first cousins. They shared a grandfather, George I of Greece.
Not only was Constantine a second cousin, once removed, to Prince William but he was also one of the future king’s godfathers. William was given six godparents: former King Constantine, Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Duchess of Westminster, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Lady Susan Hussey and Sir Laurens van der Post.
Related: King Charles: The Monarch Who Loves Greece
