DEATH OF ELIZABETH II.
In honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II. the Petřín lookout tower in Prague will be lit up in British colors on Thursday night. This was announced on Twitter by the mayor of the capital Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates). The city is also dealing with the possible display of a condolence book or the establishment of a place of remembrance, informed ČTK and the spokesman of the municipality of Czech Radio Vít Hofman. Elizabeth II, who died today at the age of 96, visited Prague in March 1996.
“In honor of the British Queen Elizabeth II. today we light up the Petřín Tower, in the colors of the United Kingdom. We deal with the possible creation of a condolence book or a place of worship. In this case, it is still too early to make such a decision. However, we will proceed strictly according to the protocol and possibly also in cooperation with the government of the Czech Republic,” said the spokesperson.
The Petřín lookout tower allows illumination in different colors controlled by a computer. In the past, the city used the opportunity, for example, to honor terrorist attacks, the municipality also regularly commemorates holidays or world days.
The British Embassy in Prague lowered the flag to half-mast after the Queen’s death and shared the official announcement from Buckingham Palace, its spokeswoman Eva Bouchalová said. She added that several candles had already appeared in front of the embassy building on the Lesser Side. According to her, at the moment the embassy will not comment on the end of the queen.
The Queen’s historic visit in 1996 became the first official trip of the British monarch to the territory of Bohemia and Moravia in the thousand-year history of relations between the two countries. She was invited to the Czech Republic by the then president Václav Havel, and during the queen’s visit she also visited Brno.
“Queen Elizabeth only visits each country once. She visited Prague in 1996, when she was welcomed by the then president Václav Havel. This night, the Petřín lookout will be lit up in British colors to her number,” wrote Hřib in the evening.
Queen Elizabeth visits each country only once. She visited Prague in 1996, when she was welcomed by the then president Václav Havel. This night, the Petřín lookout tower will be lit up in British colors for her number. pic.twitter.com/HvtXQIGNx5
— Zdenek Hřib (@ZdenekHrib)
September 8, 2022
After arriving in Prague on March 27, 1996, the then seventy-year-old Elizabeth II. to his host, President Václav Havel, the Grand Cross of the British Order of the Bath, one of the highest British honors. Havel decorated the Queen with the Order of the White Lion of the First Class with the Chain of the Order, which belongs only to heads of state.
The first Prague landmark that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited at the beginning of their visit was the Charles Bridge. The royal couple greeted the people of Prague and visitors to the capital. The culmination of the first day of the visit was a dinner at Prague Castle, during which, in a toast, the Queen mentioned the Munich Agreement as “the only shadow” that burdens Czech-British relations.
The following day, the Queen met with the then Prime Minister Václav Klaus and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Milan Uhd, and also visited Brno, where, as in Prague, she was greeted by crowds of enthusiastic people. On the last day of her visit, she toured Prague’s Old Town Hall and Prague Castle, the work of the Czech branch of the British Council, and met the British community in Prague in the Bethlehem Chapel. She also personally greeted the widows of Czech airmen who served in the British Air Force during the Second World War.