The message of His Majesty King Charles III on the occasion of the enthronement of the Bishop of London and of Britain and Ireland kyr Nektarije.

On the occasion of the enthronement of the newly-elected Bishop of London and Great Britain and Ireland, kyr Nektarije, I send my warm greetings to the Serbian Orthodox Church and to the Serbian people.

I remember with fondness my visit to Serbia in 2016, the time I spent with His Holiness Patriarch Irinej and visit to Kovilj monastery, hosted so kindly by the then Metropolitan Bishop, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije.

This ceremony sees the enactment of the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church to establish, for the first time, a diocese of London and Great Britain and Ireland. I very much hope that the creation of this new diocese will help to refresh and to deepen the longstanding ties between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England, as well as between our peoples.

My wife joins me in sending our very best wishes to Bishop Nektarije at the start of his pastoral tenure in our country.

His Majesty King Charles III