Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall concluded their three-day visit to Greece on Friday with a visit to the town of Archanes, on Crete, where they met with refugees and volunteers at a center under the aegis of the United Nations.
The center is run by a private company set up by the municipality of Iraklio, the largest city on Crete, which combines local government agencies and has contracted to host 750 refugees at various Cretans towns.
In Archanes proper, the royal couple also sampled traditional products and watched a traditional dancing group, which Prince Charles joined briefly. The prince was given a tour of the traditional cafes and talked with locals.
At their earlier visit to Knossos area, the royal couple also visited the British School excavation house at Knossos, Villa Ariadne, where Prince Charles observed the preparation of food in a traditional way, using Cretan products and baked over coals in clay containers, a sample of which was presented as a gift. The royal couple was also given a tour of the house, which was originally built to house legendary archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans.
At both Knossos and Archanes, the visiting couple were presented ith gifts of local products.
Visiting Knossos palace
The prince and his wife were given a tour earlier on Friday of the archaeological site at Knossos in Crete, on the last day of their official visit to Greece.
Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou and the ministry’s Secretary-General Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki welcomed the royal couple on their arrival at Knossos, for a visit that acts a strong boost for Greek tourism.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were at the site for approximately 50 minutes, during which they were given a guided tour and presented with gifts. Despite the extremely tight security measures, the site remained open to the public, who were able to watch the royal couple.