- By Sean Coughlan and Brian Wheeler
- BBC News
After Mr Sunak’s Greek row, eyebrows were raised by the pattern on the king’s tie
King Charles’ choice of necklace at the COP28 conference sparked speculation it was a coded message to Rishi Sunak.
The king’s tie had a pattern based on the Greek flag – after a week of row between the British Prime Minister and the Greek Prime Minister over the Parthenon sculptures.
The debate centers on whether the sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, should return to Athens.
Buckingham Palace suggested it was simply a random choice of ties.
Did the tie look like the Greek flag?
Royal sources noted that the tie, worn on Friday at the COP28 summit in Dubai, was also worn by the king when he met the South Korean delegation during their state visit last week.
They insisted the tie worn by the king during his meeting with Mr Sunak had no connection with Greece or the diplomatic row over the sculptures.
Mr Sunak canceled a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the last minute on Monday because Mr Mitsotakis said he wanted to talk about the return of the sculptures – something the British prime minister strongly opposes.
It sparked an angry backlash in Greece and claims from Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer that Mr Sunak had tried to “humiliate” an important European ally.
Former chancellor George Osborne, who chairs the British Museum where the marbles are currently housed, described Mr Sunak’s actions as a “hissing fit”.
He added that the Museum was exploring an agreement “whereby they would spend part of their time in Athens and part of their time in London.”
King Charles and Rishi Sunak meet at the COP summit in Dubai
Mr Sunak, however, ruled out a loan deal, saying: “Our position is very clear: under the law the marbles cannot be returned and we have been unequivocal on that.”
The king has family ties to Greece: his father, the late Prince Philip, was born in Greece and was a member of the Greek royal family.
Questions have been asked about whether the late Queen’s hat bore any similarities to the EU flag.
The king delivered the opening speech at the climate change summit. Although now, as head of state, he must speak on the advice of ministers, there has been speculation about the king’s private intentions in delivering a government-approved message.
It is said that nothing in the royal world is ever accidental – and with members of the royal family unable to speak directly on political matters, debates have already taken place over hidden messages.
Image source, Steve Parsons
We saw that the late queen said it with flowers in Ukrainian colors.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the late queen was photographed meeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, standing in front of a vase filled with blue and yellow flowersUkrainian national colors.
Although they said nothing in public, the flowers were seen as an eloquent, if unspoken, message.
But in the case of the blue and white pattern worn by the king in Dubai, sources insisted there were no political links.
