Rome – December 2005. The Delegate of the Constantinian Order in Great Britain and Ireland, HE Mr Anthony Bailey, hosted the annual delegation Royal Gala Dinner at 1 Whitehall Place in central London. The guest of honour was the Grand Prefect of the Order, His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria, who travelled from Rome for the occasion.
The guest speaker was His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III of Antioch & all of the East, of Alexandria, and of Jerusalem, who spoke warmly of the activities of the Constantinian Order across the Middle East and urged its knights and dames to continue this vital work in a troubled part of the world. A vote of thanks was offered by Council Member, Lord Brennan of Bibury, QC, and the Toasts were performed by His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria, Judge Patrick Clyne and HE Mr Mohammed Belmahi, Ambassador of HM The King of Morocco to the Court of St James’s.
Over 120 knights, dames and their guests attended including HE Dr Meglena Kuneva, Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as Their Excellencies The Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Bulgaria, Morocco, South Africa, Syria and Tunisia. Lord Denman, Lord Brennan and Jim Dobbin, MP, were among the parliamentarians present.
Among the senior clerics attending were His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Britain, His Grace Bishop Yussef Jules Zrayi of Egypt and Sudan, The Very Reverend Father Simeon Iliev of Bulgarian Orthodox Church, The Reverend Canon Jonathan Gough of the Church of England, The Reverend Father Dr Shafiq Abouzayd, The Reverend Canon Flora Winfield, The Reverend Father Michael Seed, Ecumenical Secretary of the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Sister Ellen Flynn of The Passage Homeless Centre, Major The Reverend Keith Gordon Berry, The Reverend Father Mark Elvins and The Reverend William Taylor of the Church of England.
Messages were sent for the occasion by those unable to attend. In particular President Mary McAleese of Ireland, a Dame of the Constantinian Order, sent her warmest wishes for a successful evening. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Princess Alexandra also sent similar messages.