Riyadh – February 2001. The Duke and Duchess of Calabria officially visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Director-General of the King Faisal Foundation and Governor of Asir Province. His Royal Highness is the eldest son of the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
The invitation was extended to the Duke and Duchess so that they could participate in the opening ceremony of the Painting & Patronage exhibition. This exhibition was a unique cultural collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, which brought together HRH The Prince of Wales (above) and HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, merging their joint roles as amateur artists and patrons of the arts. The Chairman of the Advisory Group and creator of the exhibition is our delegation’s Delegate, Anthony Bailey.
Their Majesties King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians (The King was elected Prime Minister of Bulgaria during the summer 2001); HRH The Prince of Venice (grandson of the late King Umberto II of Italy) and TRH The Duke and Duchess of Braganza (The Duke of Braganza is the recognised Head of the Portuguese Royal House) (right) were also officially invited to attend as part of plans to further develop cultural exchanges between Europe and Middle East.