The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met this morning, 21 September 2026, with King Charles III at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This was their second meeting since the British Monarch’s accession to the Throne. The first took place in October 2022, and the Ecumenical Patriarch and the then Prince of Wales had previously met in London. The King received the Patriarch, by way of exception, in a private meeting at his personal summer residence. Their conversation, originally scheduled to last half an hour, was extended by a further half hour in a very warm and friendly atmosphere. As the Patriarch departed, the British Monarch accompanied him to the exit of the Castle. The Ecumenical Patriarch was accompanied at this significant meeting by Bishop Raphael of Ilion, who serves in Scotland, and Great Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Private Office.