London, October 2011. A Royal Gala Dinner was held at the historic Stationers’ Hall in London in the honour of the Grand Master and his wife, TRH Prince Carlo and Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke & Duchess of Castro, and the Grand Prior, His Eminence Renato Raffaele, Cardinal Martino.
Over 250 knights, dames, medallists and their guests attended the white tie and decorations banquet. The dinner was hosted by the Delegate for Great Britain and Ireland, HE Mr Anthony Bailey, who gave a welcome address which included an overview of the activities of the British and Irish Delegation. The Delegate on behalf of the Delegation Council welcomed the thirty-eight new knights, dames and medallists and congratulated the fourteen promoted members.
The Delegate read messages which had been sent to the Delegation Council by HM The Queen and HE The President of Ireland. Messages from other world leaders, delegations and diplomatic missions were also read.
An Opening Prayer was given by the Prior of the British and Irish Delegation, His Eminence Cormac, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster. Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor also remembered individually all those members of the delegation who has passed away since 2000.
The Guest Speaker was His Grace The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, eleventh Archbishop of Westminster and since 1990 a Chaplain of the British and Irish Delegation. Archbishop Nichols delivered a thought provoking insight into the 2010 Papal Visit to Great Britain and highlighted what he believed to be the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visit and how Catholic organisations such as the Constantinian Order can play its part in delivering it.
A Vote of Thanks to Archbishop Nichols was offered by the Vice Delegate for Ireland Professor Richard Conroy. The Closing Prayer was given by His Eminence Renato Raffaele, Cardinal Martino, Grand Prior of the Constantinian Order, who remarked on the important and ground breaking charitable, hospitaller and inter-religious work which the Order has undertaken in recent years.
The Loyal Toast to The Queen was proposed by the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Castro. The Loyal Toast to The President of Ireland was proposed by former Irish Taoiseach HE Mr John Bruton. HE Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James’s proposed the Toast to the Holy Father. Past Lord Mayor of London Sir Gavyn Arthur proposed the Toast to other Sovereigns and Heads of State represented at the dinner.
Among those attended the Gala Dinner were HSH Prince Peter von Hohenberg (grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and great grandson to Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies – daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies), HSH Princess Nikolaus von Hohenberg, (daughter-in-law of HH Duke Georg von Hohenberg), HSH Princess Marie-Therese von Hohenberg Mrs Anthony Bailey and HSH Princess Vanessa zu Sayn Wittgenstein-Berleburg.
Also attending were the former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt Rev and Rt Hon Lord Carey of Clifton & Lady Carey of Clifton, His Eminence Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod of the Syrian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Mrs Finola Bruton, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Holy See, Iraq, Palestine and Sri Lanka, Nirj Deva MEP, HE Mr Donal Lydon, President Emeritus of the Association of Papal Orders in Ireland, Don Cristoforo Rocco di Torrepadula, Sir Desmond de Silva, QC, The Rev Father John O’Leary, Sir Michael Craig-Cooper, Sister Ellen Flynn, Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, Jim Dobbin, MP, Mrs Joyce Parsons, The Hon Lady de Zulueta, Sir Ewan and Lady Harper, His Honour Sir Gavyn Arthur, Miss Oona Stannard, The Lord and Lady Brennan of Bibury, Sir Patrick and Lady Walker, The Lord Lingfield, Judge Patrick Clyne, Dr Colin Smythe, Mr Richard Model, The Hon Alexander Brennan and Cyril and Lorna Woods of Slane.
The British and Irish Delegation was also honoured by the presence of senior European officials of the Constantinian Order including HE Dr Paulus van Hanswijck de Jonge, Delegate for the Constantinian Order in the Kingdom of The Netherlands, Dr Gunnar Riebs, Vice Delegate for the Kingdom of Belgium and Nobile Doctor Antonio di Janni, Vice Delegate for Sicily together with Professor Giovanni Bonanno, of the Delegation of Sicily.
A Guard of Honour by the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers of the Honourable Artillery Company were on parade by kind permission of the Captain Commanding Paul Champness TD.
The evening’s music programme was performed by the Militaire Orchestra under the direction of Walter E. Appleton.