Charles and Camilla Arrive in Zagreb for Balkan Tour

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall landed in Zagreb, Croatia today, beginning their six-day tour of the Balkans.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and her husband Jakov Kitarović officially welcomed the visiting royals at Pantovčak, the Presidential Palace before they had an audience together. Prince Charles and President Grabar-Kitarović also inspected a guard of honour in the Palace courtyard.

Later on in the day, Charles and Camilla – who was dressed in an eye-catching purple ensemble – were given a tour of the Upper Town of Zagreb, a historic area of the city that was heavily damaged during the bombings in 1991. The couple took a ride on a funicular railway that was built in 1890.

A stop at the Croatian National Theatre was also on the agenda, where Charles and Camilla watched a short performance put together to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, and presented prizes to children who took part in the Shakespeare in Schools program arranged by the British Council in Croatia.

In the evening President Grabar-Kitarović hosted a dinner at Pantovčak. Prince Charles praised the work and progress Croatia has made since his last visit, in 1996: “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see how this beautiful city has been so sensitively restored. There could be no better illustration of the extraordinary progress you have made in the past twenty years against so many difficult challenges.”

The couple will also visit Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Bilateral Relations, Croatia, Official Visit, President Grabar-Kitarović of Croatia, The Arts, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales.