King Charles and Queen Camilla have made a visit to Brick Lane – the heart of the Bangladeshi community in London’s East End.
Their Majesties arrived to crowd cheers on Wednesday, 8th February, and were immediately surrounded by the atmosphere of Banglatown, as the southern end of the Lane is known.
The King and Queen had a short walkabout, where they met members of the community in the area, including some of the owners of the restaurants that and the street famous for its curry.
In one of the restaurants, called Graam Bangla, King Charles and Queen Camilla met with members of the British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration Organisation, which aims to demonstrate the strength and diversity of women of Bangladeshi heritage today.
Their Majesties then walked towards Brick Lane Mosque, the heart of the community, which provided essential services throughout the pandemic. They heard the fascinating story of the building, which was born as a Church, then transformed into a Synagogue, before assuming its current form as a Mosque.
Finally, the royal couple visited Banglatown Arch, next to which there is a new mural painting called ‘The Land is Calling’; the latter was commissioned as a celebration of the Bangladeshi 50th anniversary.
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen visited Altab Ali Park, where they met some of the people that were active during the anti-racism movement of the 1960s and 70s, as well as young people active in anti-racism projects and efforts to preserve the Bangla language.
Altab Ali was a 25-years-old Bangladeshi who was stabbed to death on the 4th of May 1978 by three teenagers as he was walking home from work. In his honour, King Charles and Queen Camilla planted a tree in the park, and spoke to members of the Foundation that bares his name.
In the afternoon, Queen Camilla returned home, while King Charles visited University of East London to mark their 125th anniversary. For the occasion, the King officially opened the Hospital and Primary Care Training Hub, which will serve as practice grounds for all future NHS workers.
The centre is home to serval simulated hospital wards, including A&E and ICU, which will allow students to train in settings that are more life-like. This is possible through the use of virtual reality and other simulation technologies.
The King was also given a tour of BabyDevLab, a pioneer structure that works on parental and child psychological research “with the aim of understanding how babies think and behave”, especially when it comes to language and attention, something that the Princess of Wales has been working on for years.
Finally, His Majesty visited the exhibition hosted in the University’s Great Hall, which showcases the works of students that are pioneering advances in the field of sustainability, in areas such as fashion and tourism. University of East London has made a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030, in line with the objectives of Prince William’s Earthshot Prizes.
This day of engagements came after King Charles had welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy to Buckingham Palace in the context of his surprise visit to the United Kingdom, during which he held a meeting with Prime Minister Sunak and gave a speech to Parliament, before flying to Paris in the evening.
