King Charles and Queen Camilla took a moment away from palace life to celebrate two decades of craftsmanship at Turquoise Mountain’s 20th anniversary exhibition.
The event, held at The Garrison Chapel inside Chelsea Barracks, highlighted artisans from Afghanistan, Jordan, Myanmar, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.
Among the demonstrations, Saudi palm weaver Fayza Al-Mansouri showed off her intricate technique to the king, who declared: “I am very proud of all of you” and asked if she had learned the craft from her mother.
The royal couple were then invited to take part, applying the finishing touches of mother-of-pearl inlay to beautifully crafted Syrian jewelery boxes, each personalized with their figures.
Moataz Hammoush said watching the King handle the delicate inlay was “a mix of pride and disbelief” and opened doors to markets and designers he could never have reached on his own.
At the exhibition, Mrs Stewart, representing the charity, paid tribute to the King’s vision: “This is the community, the monarch, that you have brought together. No one else could have created this project.”
