King Charles’s beloved Greek retreat – where women aren’t allowed.
A visit to the all-male enclave of Mount Athos can be transformative, whether you are religious or not
Why has His Majesty King Charles III, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, sought spiritual support in his fight against cancer from Archimandrite Ephraim, an Elder of the Greek Orthodox Church? The answer lies on Mount Athos, where Elder Ephraim is a monk.
The King has visited Elder Ephraim’s monastery, Vatopedi, many times. Having visited Mount Athos myself, I can confirm that it is a uniquely spiritual place, for Christians of any denomination – and even for people of other faiths or no faith at all.
Although King Charles is the head of the Anglican Church, he has close connections with Orthodoxy.
His father, Prince Philip, was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church before converting to Anglicanism prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. A Greek choir sang in Greek at his Coronation.
He reportedly has a collection of Byzantine icons in his home at Highgrove, many of them from Mount Athos, the holiest site in the Orthodox Church.
So what makes Mount Athos so special? Will it bring comfort and inspiration to anyone who travels there, be they profoundly spiritual (like Charles) or a lukewarm Anglican (like me)? DT.
