Prague, April 5 (CTK) – At least three European monarchs will attend the celebrations of the 700th birth anniversary of Charles IV (1316-1378), King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, in Prague in mid-May, Jindrich Forejt, protocol section head at Prague Castle, the Presidential Office, told CTK on Tuesday.
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Albert, Prince of Monaco, and Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, have confirmed their participation, Forejt said.
“There are ten European monarchies and we know for sure that one-third of them will be represented, while we are negotiating with the others,” Forejt said.
The main celebration of Charles IV’s birth anniversary is scheduled for Saturday, May 14.
“President (Milos Zeman) has sent an invitation to the representatives of the ruling dynasties in Europe, descendants of Charles IV,” Forejt said.
However, the hlidaciPes.org server writes that “Zeman’s invitation has met with a cool response by a crushing majority of significant noble and ruling houses from European countries.”
Forejt dismissed it.
He admitted that not all invited personalities would arrive eventually.
“However, I do not know a single event in Europe or in the world to be attended by all European rulers at once,” he noted.
Forejt said the Swedish royal family had excused itself from the celebrations and representatives of the Kingdom of Spain would not arrive in Prague either.
Some of the royal families have their own programme at that time, for instance, the 90th birthday of Queen Elisabeth II will be celebrated in Britain in May and June, he added.
Prague Castle was really striving for the participation of the British royal family members in the Charles IV event. Zeman even asked British PM David Cameron to convey the invitation to them, which Presidential Office foreign section head Hynek Kmonicek confirmed to CTK.
Forejt also told CTK that the guests would have an opportunity to pay homage to Charles IV at his grave in St Vitus Cathedral, the foundation stone of which he laid in the Prague Castle complex in 1344.
