At noon on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, His All-Holiness was received with honours appropriate to the dignity of his status by His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. Accompanying the Patriarch were Their Eminences Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, and Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium; as well as His Excellency Ioannis Raptakis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the United Kingdom; and His Excellency Matthew Lodge, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic. During their private meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew and King Charles exchanged greetings, with the Patriarch conveying his personal condolences for the death of the King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and wishing King Charles a blessed reign. They discussed issues of mutual concern for a half hour, after which His Majesty the King received and greeted the other members of the venerable Patriarchal Delegation.

Later that afternoon, the Patriarch and his entourage were escorted to London Heathrow International Airport by His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Nephon Tsimalis, the Greek Ambassador Ioannis Raptakis, and Mr. Güneş Yeşildağ, Deputy Head of Mission of the Turkish Embassy. The departure of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concludes a historic and successful celebratory visit to the United Kingdom. The memorable five-day trip—coloured by the personal pastoral concern characteristic of Patriarch Bartholomew—afforded many faithful of the Archdiocese the opportunity to receive the blessing of their Ecumenical Patriarch and to hear his paternal words of encouragement.
photos: Nicholas Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate