Prince Charles is a great admirer of cultural heritage and he expressed his wish that his visit to the HNK be included in his itinerary. The visit to the HNK was also conducted in respect of a project launched by the British Council and the national theatre with the aim of promoting everything the HNK is doing to nurture Croatia's cultural heritage.
The royal couple also attended a Shakespeare performance prepared by children as the SOS Lekenik village for children without parental care. The prince also awarded the Zupanja High School which won in a contest organised by the British Council - "Shakespeare in Schools" - for their production of Romeo and Juliet. Another award was also presented to the Actors Studio - a Zagreb-based which teaches English through acting - for their performance of "Doing Shakespeare".
The royal couple's visit to the HNK is the result of many years of cooperation between the theatre and the British Council which has been active in Zagreb since 1946 and organises various art, education, social and English-language programmes.
Prince Charles is the President of the Royal Shakespeare Company, in Shakespeare's place of birth, Stratford-upon-Avon. He is also a co-sponsor of the British Council, founded with the aim of establishing trust and understanding between the United Kingdom and the world.