The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have sent a heartfelt message at the end of a special royal event that’s gone largely unnoticed.
Edward and Sophie said a big thank you to the people of Portugal after an official visit to the country that lasted several days.
However, the important visit has taken place with little fanfare.
The couple arrived in Portugal on June 1 where they were plunged into royal history as they marked the anniversary of a treaty that began with a regal wedding.
This year is the 640th anniversary of the Treaty of Windsor which consolidated the alliance between England and Portugal, one of the oldest diplomatic allegiances in the world. As part of that treaty, the King of Portugal, Joao I, married Philippa, a granddaughter of King Edward III. Philippa became Queen of Portugal and an expert politician and diplomat.
Over six centuries on, the diplomacy was placed in the hands of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh whose official visit to Portugal included several key moments. The trip began with Edward and Sophie helping to initiate the exhibition at the Portuguese National Archive about the treaty. The display includes the first showing of the English and Portuguese copies side by side since they were signed in 1386.
Edward and Sophie won plenty of fans by making like Lisbon locals and hopping on one of the trams which form the backbone of the city’s public transport network. The Duke of Edinburgh looked particularly delighted to be presented with a model of one of the iconic trams.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s work includes supporting young people and Prince Edward spent part of the visit at an international school. During his time at St. Julian’s, the Duke joined in tile painting and saw the work of CERCICA, an organisation that helps young people and adults with disabilities.
The Duke also met some of Portugal’s star Paralympians during a session on inclusive sports activities. He was shown some of the secrets of success in boccia, one of the sports that Portugal’s Paralympic team has excelled in and he also met Portuguese Paralympic Committee members.
A large part of Prince Edward’s work has been centred around the Duke of Edinburgh Award, of which he is President. It didn’t take long for the prince to meet up with some of those taking part in the International Award in Lisbon. During his time with participants and leaders, he helped pitch a tent or two as he heard about the Award’s work in Portugal where over 50 schools and colleges now participate.
Sophie headed to the National Defence Institute where she joined students for a model NATO, an initiative of the British Embassy Lisbon which has brought together young people from Portugal and the UK for the past four years. During the session, the students take part in their own version of NATO’s North Atlantic Council and this time, they had a keynote speech from the Duchess of Edinburgh as part of their session.
Bringing another of her passions to the conference, Sophie spoke about Women, Peace and Security – she has carried out intense work around the issue and is part of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
As their second day in Portugal ended, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh came together again to visit TEKEVER, which is a leading UK-Portuguese aerospace company. The visit also included a display of flight technology including watching an Unmanned Aircraft System being put together by a team from both countries.
A moving visit to Batalha Monastery followed with the Duke of Edinburgh laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Meanwhile, Sophie had an historic tribute to make. She visited the Tomb of King Joao and Queen Philippa of Portugal, whose marriage had helped cement the Treaty of Windsor, and left flowers in remembrance.
There was another poignant moment for Edward and Sophie as they headed to the Veterans Museum near the Monastery. One of the exhibits there is the preserved wreath of flowers that was laid at the Tomb of King Joao and Queen Philippa in 1957 by Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Batalha Monastery.
The visit of the Duke of Duchess of Edinburgh to Portugal ended in the city of Porto, where they were greeted by the mayor, Pedro Duarte, and the President of the Municipal Assembly, Marta Massada.
There was a special honour for Edward and Sophie as they were presented with the Keys to the City.
Their time in Porto also saw them head to the British School where Prince Edward met more students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and once again followed in the footsteps of his parents as both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited there.
It wouldn’t be a visit to Portugal without a glass of port and the final stages of this unheralded official visit saw the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at the British Factory House which was the hub of the trade around the drink in the 18th century, when it was a lucrative business for London merchants.
The tour ended, as it had begun, with the story of Joao and Philippa, the king and queen who helped cement ties between Portugal and England. At Porto Cathedral, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were given a tour of the church in which the couple had been married and they saw the cloister of the church which had been built in honour of the new queen and which is decorated with another emblem of Portugal, the famous blue and white tiles known as azulejos.
Just before they left, Edward and Sophie enjoyed some music and dance shows and then made their own mark. At Graham’s Port Lodge, they were asked to ‘christen’ a barrel of port, a traditional ceremony during a royal visit. Both threw a glass of port over the barrel where new port is now maturing. It provided another link to the past for Edward and Sophie during a visit that helped cement old ties with new diplomacy.
