Cyprus Reception at Buckingham Palace 2019

March 5, 2019

Dear all!

I will try to describe how things unfolded last evening, though it’s difficult to include all details. On arrival, after security, we were allocated a group number (as we were 300 all together, they grouped us by profession) We were offered canapes & drinks while waiting for the two most prominent personalities to enter.

At 6.30 they both appeared: Prince Charles & Cyprus President Mr. Anastasiades. We were all gathered in an oblong & magnificent hall & were going to be introduced to one of the two. To my bad luck! It was Mr. Anastasiades who came by my group of 8 artists! Naturally everyone was attracted to Prince Charles’s group & lots of guests abandoned their group – to see him from close up!

In the meantime, in an adjacent Hall the music had started. A small string group of about 12 players from the Oxford Philharmonic under Marios Papadopoulos began to play. The Prince was guided to this other Hall & listened for a while. But he was soon led out & back to the “adoring” crowds! Women were in their best outfits (golden shoes, silk dresses, fancy-coloured jackets etc) & so he continued his rounds meeting more & more groups.

I watched, together with the others, as he got to the end of the Hall. Now there were going to be speeches. The Cyprus High commissioner Mr. Evryviades who knows me well, wanted to “push” me into another group, in order to have a chance to meet the Prince. But because of my group number, I was turned away by security. So, I listened to the speeches from quite close, first the High Commissioner, then the Cypriot President & finally the Prince. Prince Charles spoke simply & with humour, mentioning George Michael, Ayia Napa & the success of HALLOUMI!  He was charming.

And now it was coming to the end. As P. Charles was ushered into another side hall to thank the musicians, a security gentleman who had forbidden me to join a previous group approached me & saying: this is the composer & led me into this new Hall. I was positioned last in the circle of the musicians & lo & behold – Prince Charles greeted me, shook hands with me & we had a short chat together. I thanked him for hosting Cyprus in this magnificent Palace, mentioned that I was the composer of this evening’s music & finally recalled that I was a boy chorister & sang at his mother’s Coronation in Nicosia. I think he was amused.

We were not allowed to film inside for obvious reasons, so I have sent you these souvenir shots from outside the Palace in a previous email.

For me – a once in a lifetime experience!