The British King Charles III thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for traveling from Buckingham Palace to attend his mother’s burial on Monday morning in a phone call this evening.
The King also expressed his gratitude to the President, Prime Minister, and people of Bangladesh for sending their heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Royal family in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
“Her late Majesty was like a mother figure to me and an extraordinary head of Commonwealth,” the prime minister said during the conversation, adding, “To pay my personal honor to her, I decided to attend her state burial.”
The Prime Minister also let the King know that the government of Bangladesh conducted three days of state mourning in memory of the late Queen, during which time special prayers were said for her eternal rest.
Along with wishing him a long and prosperous reign, Elizabeth used the occasion to personally congratulate King Charles III on his succession to the throne.
Recalling King Charles’ (then Prince Charles’) 1997 visit to Bangladesh, the Prime Minister informed the monarch that Bangladesh was getting ready to host King Charles and the Queen Consort in the upcoming month in honor of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and the UK.
In response, King Charles III said, “The Queen Consort and I were so much looking forward to our visit to Bangladesh on the 50th anniversary, however, due to the recent turn of events, unfortunately, we are having to cancel it.”
The King also extended his best wishes for the people of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh-British diaspora.
Buckingham Palace scheduled the phone call for the new King to personally speak to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister now on a state visit to the UK to attend the late Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral on Monday.
