King Charles III
The choice of tie triggers numerous discussions
King Charles III with his “Greece” tie including matching pocket square.
© Chris Jackson/Getty Images
King Charles’ tie at the climate conference in Dubai causes an uproar: just a fashion detail or a political message?
King Charles III (75) apparently offended some people with his choice of tie and pocket square on Friday at the climate conference in Dubai. On Friday, the monarch appeared in Dubai wearing a light blue tie that bore unmistakable similarities to the Greek flag. The matching pocket square in light blue and white also had clear reminiscences 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 gasps among British commentators, as his choice of clothing may have been a statement, and therefore one they don’t like seen as interfering in a current political dispute between the British and Greek governments.
Sunak recently canceled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis (55), thereby taking the dispute to a new, previously unimagined level of escalation. The two countries are fighting over the return of the so-called Parthenon frieze, an originally Greek relief. The southeastern European country has been trying for many years to return 56 marble frieze pieces, which are currently in the British Museum London.
That’s why Greece and Great Britain are fighting over the Parthenon frieze
These were cut off 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 was then ruling there. To this day, Greece views the frieze in British hands as stolen property and is persistently demanding its return. London, on the other hand, refers to the deal concluded with the Ottoman Empire at the time and clearly states that the marble slabs were acquired legally. Sunak escalated the dispute on Wednesday by accusing Mitsotakis of “acting out” over the Frieze ownership issue during his trip to London.
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 branch 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.