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Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall will visit Greece for special celebration

The Prince of Wales shares a touching connection to the country

charles camilla greece
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be the first royals to undertake an overseas trip in 2021.  

Prince Charles, 72, and Camilla, 73, will attend the Bicentenary Independence Day celebrations in Athens from 24 to 25 March, at the request of the British government.

This follows an invitation from the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

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The Prince and Duchess will attend a reception at the newly reopened National Gallery of Greece on the evening of 24 March hosted by the President of the Republic, Her Excellency Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The royal couple will also attend a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square and a traditional military parade on 25 March.

It's understood that Charles and Camilla will take all necessary measures to comply with COVID-19 regulations and guidance in Athens during their trip.

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charles dancing greece 2018© Photo: Getty Images

Charles took part in traditional dancing during his visit to Greece in 2018

The pair last visited Greece in an official capacity in May 2018, shortly before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.

Last year Prince Charles also wrote about his special connection with Greece in a letter for newspaper Ta Nea, writing: "Greece is very much part of my identity."

Charles' paternal grandfather was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, who was born at the Tatoi Palace, just north of Athens, in 1882.

charles camilla berlin 2020© Photo: Getty Images

Charles and Camilla in Berlin in November 2020

Royal tours were put on hold last March following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Charles and Camilla's planned visit to Bosnia, Cyprus and Jordan was called off days before they were due to fly.

In November, the couple travelled to Berlin in Germany to attend the Remembrance Ceremony to commemorate the annual National Day of Mourning.

And while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have not carried out a joint overseas tour since their trip to Ireland in March 2020, Prince William and Kate carried out a UK-wide tour on the royal train in December to thank key workers and organisations for their efforts.

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