An Emotional End to Charles and Camilla’s Visit to the Balkans

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have completed their tour of the Balkans, spending an emotion-filled day in Kosovo.

After a brief meeting with President Atifete Jahjaga, during which the Prince was presented with the Order for Peace, Democracy and Humanism, Charles and Camilla had a series of engagements that related to the 1998-99 conflict in the country.

Charles attended a meeting on the topic of missing individuals because of the conflict, while Camilla was joined by President Jahjaga in a meeting to discuss how sexual violence is used as a weapon during times of conflict. Both the Prince and the Duchess heard personal stories of people impacted by the war.

TRH, along with @PresidentKosovo, are attending a memorial ceremony for missing persons. #RoyalVisitKosovo pic.twitter.com/G1uw0ofFMh

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 19, 2016

They then came together to lay white roses at the base of a memorial that honours missing persons. Afterwards, the couple spent much time speaking with the many locals who made up the crowd, many of them speaking of the loved ones they are missing that make up the thousands not seen since 1999. Charles and Camilla were both visibly moved as they listened to the stories, Charles hugging one woman whose two teenage sons were taken.

In the afternoon, Charles and Camilla parted ways once more. Charles headed to KFOR, the peace keeping force in Kosovo’s base, where he attended a memorial ceremony remembering the British personnel who were killed during the war. He then visited Prizren and was given tours of three different places of worship: a mosque, a Roman Catholic church and a Serbian Orthodox church before attending an inter-faith conference.

The Duchess meanwhile The Ideas Partnership to see the organisation’s work that involves providing health support, food and clothing, and helping with literacy classes and academic support.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Kosovo, Memorial, Official Visit, President Jahjaga of Kosovo, Religion, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales.

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