The British Ambassador to Albania, Alastair King Smith hosted an event at the British Embassy in Tirana to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and used the opportunity to talk about the ongoing efforts to strengthen relations between Albania and the UK.
King Charles III and his consort Queen Camilla were crowned on Saturday 6 May in a ceremony in London which was live streamed to the event in Tirana.
Guests including members of the British community in Albania, Albanians with strong connections to the UK, diplomats, journalists, and members of civil society gathered in the garden to enjoy traditional food and drinks and to watch the historic moment unfold.
King-Smith, dressed in full regalia, addressed the assembled guests in Albania and English, giving an explanation of what was taking place, but also touching on the recently somewhat delicate relationship between the two countries.
“Today’s Coronation is also an important diplomatic event. I am honoured that His Excellency President Begaj will be attending the Coronation today on behalf of Albania, alongside other world leaders. This demonstrates the strength of relations between Albania and the United Kingdom,” he said, adding that since he took on the role of ambassador, it has been his aim to continue to deepen and broaden the relationship between London and Tirana.
He mentioned the recent visit by Prime Minister Edi Rama to London and the increase in bilateral trade, including the launch of a British Chamber of Commerce in Albania. King-Smith also highlighted new partnerships between universities to give more opportunities to young Albanians.
Touching on the most delicate issue, that of migration, King-Smith said, “We also continue to cooperate closely on other challenges such as illegal migration, as outlined in our landmark UK-Albania Joint Communiqué in December.”
Relations between Albania and the UK soured towards the end of 2022 as the number of Albanians crossing The Channel in small boats to seek asylum reached over 13,000. This led to harsh words from British politicians, likening it to an “invasion” and insinuating that Albanians were simply criminals.
The rhetoric sparked a swift reaction from Rama who has consistently called out London on its immigration policy failures, for failing to adequately police human smuggling, and for using Albanians as a scapegoat, as he says “for votes”.
King-Smith added that “We are here to celebrate this special moment for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. But this event is also about you. It is about the UK showing its gratitude for everything you have done to strengthen our partnership.”
As for the coronation itself, the ambassador explained that for the past 1000 years, British monarchs have been crowned at Westminster Abbey which was built by King Edward I, with his successor William the Conqueror being the first monarch to be crowned there in 1066. King Charles will be the fortieth.
He continued that the King is a vital figurehead not just for Britain, but also for the other countries for whom he is Head of State. That includes 14 Realms in the Commonwealth, 14 Overseas British Territories and over 150 million people across the globe.
As a constitutional monarch that acts as Head of State on top of a democratic system, the King is seen as a figure who rises above party politics and brings us together both within our nation and across so many countries including the Commonwealth, a group of 54 democratic nations from all continents.
He continued that the King, who became heir apparent at the age of four, is a champion of environmental causes, first speaking about his concerns on pollution in 1970. Today, he continued, King Charles is patron to over 800 charities, including one run by the ambassador and his mother called Kids for Kids which helps transform the lives of children in Darfur, Sudan.
“His Majesty is a very talented artist and donated a lithograph print of his then home at Highgrove to our charity. That one donation – to a little-known charity supporting a region forgotten by the world – raised enough money to fund our first kindergarten in Darfur, the first ever primary schooling in the region,” King-Smith said.
