King Charles III (75) apparently offended some people with his choice of tie and pocket square on Friday at the climate conference in Dubai. On Friday, the monarch appeared in Dubai wearing a light blue tie that bore unmistakable similarities to the Greek flag. The matching pocket square in light blue and white was also clearly reminiscent of the official colors of the EU country.

In the British media, this appearance – during which she also met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (43) on the sidelines of COP28 – caused some surprises among British commentators, as her choice of clothing may have been a statement and , therefore, one that they do not use. It does not appear to be considered interference in an ongoing political dispute between the British and Greek governments.

Sunak recently canceled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis (55), thus taking the dispute to a new level of escalation never before imagined. The two countries are fighting over the return of the so-called Parthenon frieze, an originally Greek relief. The southeastern European country has been trying for many years to return 56 pieces of marble friezes that are currently in the British Museum in London.

That’s why Greece and Britain are fighting over the Parthenon frieze

These were cut in the 19th century outside the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis on behalf of the then British ambassador in Athens and brought to Britain with the permission of the Ottoman Empire, which then ruled there. To this day, Greece considers the frieze in British hands stolen property and persistently demands its return. London, on the other hand, refers to the agreement signed at that time with the Ottoman Empire and clearly states that the marble slabs were acquired legally. Sunak escalated the row on Wednesday by accusing Mitsotakis of “acting badly” over the issue of Frieze’s ownership during his trip to London.

What you need to know in this context: King Charles III. He is of Greek descent on his father’s side. His father, Prince Philip (1921-2021), was born on the Greek island of Corfu and was part of the Greek branch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a branch of the German-Danish House of Oldenburg. Charles and the former Greek King Constantine II (1940-2023) were, therefore, second cousins, since his grandparents Andrew of Greece (1882-1944) and King Constantine I (1868-1923) were brothers.

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