The King has told artists working with a charity he founded in Afghanistan 20 years ago “I’m so proud of you all”.
Charles and Camilla attended an exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of Turquoise Mountain, a charity founded by Charles as Prince of Wales in 2006, at The Garrison Chapel within London’s Chelsea Barracks development.
The charity was set up with the aim to revive historic areas and traditional crafts.
Today, it supports artisans in Afghanistan, Jordan, Myanmar, Palestine and Saudi Arabia – helping them access global markets and find opportunities for training and employment.
Charles and Camilla were given a tour of the exhibition by former politician and co-host of The Rest Is Politics podcast Rory Stewart, founding director of Turquoise Mountain, and his wife Shoshana, the charity’s president.
Fayza Al-Mansouri, a palm weaver from Saudi Arabia, demonstrated her technique to the King, who told her: “I’m so proud of you all”, and asked if she learned the art from her mother.
After meeting the artists and viewing their work, the King and Queen were presented with traditional Syrian jewellery boxes, each bearing their ciphers, and embossed with mother of pearl inlay, crafted by Moataz Hammoush.
Having grown up in Syria, where he learned his craft from his father, Mr Hammoush now lives in Amman, Jordan, where he and his business partner oversee a workshop employing more than 20 artisans.
Charles and Camilla were invited to apply the finishing touches by placing the final pieces of mother of pearl onto their respective boxes.
Speaking to the Press Association via a translator, Mr Hammoush said: “It’s very difficult to describe the feeling. It’s a mix between being very proud to present my work to King Charles, and the fact that it’s being recognised by him, and seen by him, and also received by him. It’s something that I’m really proud of.”
Mr Hammoush said Turquoise Mountain helped connect him to markets, brands and designers he would not otherwise have been able to access.
He said: “(I’m proud of) the fact that I’m celebrating my cultural heritage and the traditions that I have been learning and passing on, and that has been passed on to me. And, now, seeing King Charles holding a piece of mother of pearl and inlaying it, it makes me proud of my craft, traditions and cultural heritage.”
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Mrs Stewart paid tribute to the King’s role in founding the charity.
She said: “This is the community of people, Your Majesty, that you have put together. Above all, I want to thank you. There is no one else who could have created this project.”
Mrs Stewart added Turquoise Mountain had faced many challenges in the areas it operates in, including the ongoing war in Palestine and a coup in Myanmar in 2021, but the King’s vision for the charity remained a “powerful” influence in the world.
Craftsmanship and Community: 20 Years of Turquoise Mountain opens to the public on February 12 at The Garrison Chapel.
