The Prince of Wales expressed his “despair over senseless cruelty” in the world when he delivered a speech on reconciliation – in relation to his beloved uncle Lord Mountbatten.
Charles delivered the speech at a reception given by the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Maja Gojkovic.
It was held to celebrate British women on the Serbian front during World War I and the relationship between Britain and Serbia.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the Prince spoke of the 1979 death of Lord Mountbatten, who was killed by an IRA bomb on a boat off the west coast of Ireland.
He said: “In 1979 my beloved great-uncle Lord Mountbatten died, along with his grandson, godson and others in his boat with him, in a terrible bombing raid in Ireland.
“So I feel that through my own experience I have at least some understanding of the heartbreaking agony that so many families in this region, regardless of nationality, race or religion, have experienced from the loss of loved ones.
“But after many years of reflection, and indeed despair, over the senseless cruelty and destruction we are witnessing around the world, my own conclusion is that only reconciliation offers the assurance that our children and grandchildren will not suffer the same anguish like our generation. ” . ”
Before the evening reception, the Prince and Duchess of Cornwall made several stops and started the day at a cultural market in Novi Sad.
Crowds gathered in the square to see the royal couple – some went to the windows to catch a glimpse – and cheered and applauded as Charles and Camilla walked through, pausing occasionally to shake hands and say a few words switch.
They also visited the Matica Srpska Gallery, where the prince devoted himself to art restoration.
He was shown the gallery’s restoration studio, which is currently working on the iconostasis of the Serbian Church in Budapest, and when he was shown one of the pieces in the cleaning, he was invited to try it out.
He took a tool and began to gently scratch the surface and said, “This is very exciting. It’s amazing. You have to be careful.”
After enjoying himself for a moment, he laughed and said “I better not do too much” before putting the device down.
In the afternoon the prince visited the Kovilj monastery, where he was received by his abbot, Father Isihije Hesychios.
At the convent, Charles took some time to speak to addicts who have taken advantage of the convent’s rehabilitation program, The Land Of The Living.
The project is free and aims to promote drug cessation by bringing participants out of an addicting environment and promoting recovery through manual labor and community service.
After hearing from some service users, Charles was shown where the monastery makes candles and liquor.
He tried different types of the spirit and described the plum brandy as “special”.
The afternoon ended with the prince being taken on a boat through the Kovilj-Petrovaradin swamps.
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