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King Charles at the COP: Greece-style tie

Photo: Peter Dejong / AP

Does a tie serve as an indication of King Charles III's personal opinion? The British monarch wore a tie with a Greek motif at the World Climate Conference in Dubai – a few days after the governments of Great Britain and Greece had a public undiplomatic dispute over the return of ancient Greek sculptures from the British Museum.

Several British reporters took to social media to point out the blue and white tie on Charles' neck. Has the 75-year-old taken the side of the southeastern European country? Actually, the British monarchs are obliged to strict neutrality.

Especially in Athens, Charles' speech was well received in Dubai, the Guardian newspaper wrote in its blog from COP28. In Greece, the motif is seen as an indication that Charles is opposing his own Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who refuses to return the frieze parts of the Parthenon temple in Athens.

The dispute over the ownership of the antiquities has been going on for decades. The Parthenon Temple ("Maiden's Chamber") is one of the most famous surviving monuments of ancient Greece. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British diplomat Lord Elgin had the best-preserved marble slabs and sculptures of the Parthenon frieze dismantled and brought to England. There he sold it to the British Museum in 1816. Athens speaks of theft.

On Monday, the dispute escalated. A planned meeting between the two prime ministers on Tuesday was cancelled by the British side. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis then accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of trying to avoid a discussion about the controversial sculptures.

But the tie thing could also be simpler, as the Guardian points out. Charles' father was born in the country as Prince Philip of Greece. The king likes to spend his holidays there and is passionate about all things Hellenic.

It's not the first time a royal garment has sparked rumors. In 2017, for example, it was puzzled whether Charles' mother Queen Elizabeth II wanted to express her position in the Brexit dispute with a blue hat reminiscent of the EU flag.

ani/dpa