Reception for British Prince
By Kwon Yule-jung
I was invited to a reception party on Oct. 2 by British Ambassador Martin Yuden on the occasion of the visit to Korea by His Royal Highness Prince Andrew Duke of York.
Prince Andrew is currently active as special representative for international trade and investment, which is what brought him to Korea for the promotion of trade and economic investment between the two countries. Besides this, his expertise on navy ships from his time as a naval officer, where he served as a helicopter pilot, found him paying great attention to high-technology ships, including destroyers and Aegis class warships, at a shipyard here.
My perhaps unlikely attendance at the event became possible because of my keen interest in nearly all things British. Above all, my essay ―``Patriotism of British Royals" ― printed in The Korea Times last month must have played a decisive role in giving me the honored opportunity to see the prince, second son of the reigning monarch Elizabeth II.
At the reception, I was welcomed by the British envoy and his wife at the porch of their residence. British and Korean guests were already mingling as I arrived. More than anything else, a large stone attracted my attention. The stone preserved in a glass box was used as a cornerstone for the residence. It was laid in 1890, the 54th year of reign of Queen Victoria. Korea's sovereignty was not clearly indicated on the stone. Instead, a Chinese king's name took its place.
I felt somewhat despaired because of our ancestors' failure to cope with rapid changes in international politics. As a result, our country was bullied and humiliated for a long time by imperialist countries. At the peak of those ordeals, Korea was subjected to being a colony to Japan in 1910.
Before the prince appeared, I chatted about the culture and history of Korea and Britain with the head teacher of the British foreign school. He is no stranger to Korea after living in Seoul for nearly nine years, including gap times between. Our common interest focused on the British forces' participation in the Korean War. I expressed my heartfelt thanks to him for his country's great role in defending a Far Eastern country for free democracy. He also returned his personal appreciation of our government's annual invitation of British Korean War veterans to battle sites. He was well aware that the veterans were surprised to find what it is compared with what it was nearly six decades ago.
At the designated time, the prince entered the residence accompanied by the ambassador and his entourage. He did the rounds, talking to guests for some minutes. To my regret, I barely had a chance to talk with him. I just listened to him talk with other guests on economic issues. I felt familiar with him, having learned about the British royals and their history in detail.
Due to confusion some Koreans present were not aware that the prince was already there and doing his rounds.
Just before departing through the embassy's gate, I found the stone, laid on November 2, 1992 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their visit was a milestone in British royal history because it was then that Prince Charles, first in line to the crown, and Princess Diana, made their last official foreign visit before their separation. During the period, they seemed to show stern, unsmiling faces to the world despite their efforts to veil the ongoing process going on between them.
Prince Andrew also divorced from his wife, the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, at nearly the same time as his elder brother did. They have two girls, Beatrice and Eugenie. Like Princes William and Harry born of Charles and Diana, the two princesses pursue their own lives, not affected by their parents' divorce.
As an avid enthusiast of Britain, I always hope that the British monarchy will play a greater role in the world and develop forever.
The writer is director of the Daejeon Regional Office for Patriots and Veterans Affairs in the central city of Daejeon. He can be reached at england6227@hanmail.net.