His Royal Highness The Prince David of Georgia and his entourage were invited by The Right Honourable The Lord Lingfield, a senior Conservative peer and Her Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London to visit the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Palace retains its status as a Royal Residence.

The royal party arrived at the Palace’s Royal Court and were formally received at the Peers’ Entrance by Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod and Deputy Sergeant-at-arms, Brigadier Neil Baverstock, Commander of the Order of the British Empire. They were then accompanied through to the Noble Peers’ Entrance where they were received by the Lord and Lady Lingfield and former Lord Mayor of London His Honour Judge Sir Gavyn Arthur, also Registrar of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.

The Lord Lingfield introduced the following Lord Bishops, Lords and Members of Parliament to His Royal Highness and the entourage, which was composed of the Dukes of San Jorge and of Ferris, the Count of Boluda and Baron de Giorgio:

Admiral The Right Honourable The Lord West of Spithead, former Chief of the Naval Staff, Minister of State for Security, Member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council,

The Right Honourable The Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Minister (Lords) for the region which includes Georgia,

The Right Honourable The Lord Wakeham, former Leader of the House of Lords and Cabinet Minister, Deputy Lieutenant of Her Majesty The Queen and Member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council,

The Right Reverend The Emeritus Lord Bishop of Wakefield, Dr Stephen Platten,

The Right Honourable The Baroness Browning, former Minister of State for Home Affairs,

The Right Honourable Professor The Lord McColl of Dulwich, eminent physician and surgeon,

The Honourable Mr. David Ruffley, Member of Parliament (MP), Member of Her Majesty’s Treasury Select Committee,

The Right Honourable Mr. John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Transport and Minister with Special Responsibilities at the Office of the Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury,

The Right Honourable The 9th Earl of Courtown, elected Hereditary Peer,

The Prince David was then invited by Lord Lingfield to lunch in the Palace’s recently renovated Attlee Room. His Royal Highness gave an address after lunch, in reply to a speech given by Lord Lingfield.

His Royal Highness and the Entourage were then led to the Distinguished Strangers’ Gallery in their Lordship’s chamber, where they attended a parliamentary debate by Noble Lords for around thirty minutes. Prior to entering the chamber, the royal mace was carried past, where His Royal Highness could witness the symbol of the Queen’s Majesty and salute it.

Business discussed by Their Lordships’ House on the day included the child poverty, modern slavery and other matters of great importance to the United Kingdom and worldwide.

The royal party where then taken on a tour of the most important parts of the Palace of Westminster, and witness the various parts of the intricate parliamentary machine at work.

During the visit to the Palace, His Royal Highness invested His Honour Judge Sir Gavyn Arthur, Registrar of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, former Lord Mayor of London, as Knight Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord Lingfield, President of the League of Mercy then announced that the President and Trustees of the League have the honour of conferring the Order of Mercy in silver on:

His Excellency Don Alfredo Escudero y Diaz Madroñero, The Duke of San Jorge, Marquis of Gori and Baron of Santa Maria

His Excellency Don José Maria Boluda y Sanambrosio, The Count of Boluda

The Most Illustrious and Noble Aaron Gabriel Paul, The Baron de Giorgio

His Excellency Don Claudio Chaqués y Ramón, The Duke of Ferris and Baron of Chaqués.

An announcement of the Order of Mercy award will be made in the London Gazette as customary.

[His Royal Highness’s speech to the Lord Bishops, Lords and Members of Parliament at Lunch in the Palace of Westminster follows]

I am very happy to be here today, in such splendid and historic surroundings, and in such excellent company.

I wish to thank The Right Honourable The Lord Lingfield for giving me this opportunity to be able to meet you all.

We are thankful for many things – particularly that Georgia, my beloved country, where my father is buried, and his fathers before him, is growing in maturity where democracy, the rule of law and civil liberties are concerned. It is a difficult and uphill struggle, particularly because of the continuing regional and national tensions, fed and watered by those who do not wish our country to become a stable and strong democracy based on the rights of the individual.

I am happy with the direction that my country’s government has taken since the last parliamentary and presidential elections, and with its efforts to govern under the rule of law and to seek compromise and government in a very broad coalition of very different political parties, which is never easy as evidenced by the recent exit of one of the parties from the coalition.

Georgia is a beautiful and inviting country, with excellent prospects for foreign and international investment and growth. I invite you all to visit and to invest in Georgia, and I promise you, and give you my guarantee, that you will not be disappointed.

Its rich and old history, its beautiful cathedrals, citadels, cities and mountains, make it very attractive, and the great Georgian people are filled with hope for the future.

After the incredibly difficult years of communism, oppression and dictatorship, and after many years of political tension between those in Georgia who want a future in the West, and those that want it in the East, I wish to say the following.

Georgia’s position on the border of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, its proximity to many important civilizations, our tremendously important and rich Orthodox Christian heritage and our millennial monarchical history, make us a vibrant and welcoming country that has withstood the test of time. Our future is in embracing our past, and confident and strong in our roots, to seek new friendships with major international players, without renouncing who we are or what we stand for.

Dialogue between the politicians and the people of good will in Georgia must never stop or be put aside. It is critical to ensure that those who wish to take Georgia back to a gloomy and violent past are not given the chance to do so. This is why I am grateful that the present government is made up of a coalition of several different parties who seek to work together in spite of wide ideological differences. It is helping Georgians to learn to govern by dialogue and compromise.

I must here mention the critical part played by our beloved Patriarch, His Holiness and Beatitude Illia the Second, in keeping the flame of hope and identity alive, even in the darkest times for our country.

We are all made up of our pasts, our present and our visions for the future, and that is true of all of us.

We must ensure that we all remain as good as our ancestors when they started and that we always work for better, stronger, fairer and more just societies, wherever we live.

Thank you, so very much, to you all.