UK: LONDON: CZECH PRESIDENT HAVEL MEETS THE QUEEN

(19 Oct 1998) Natural Sound

Czech President Vaclav Havel has arrived in Britain at the start of a 4 day official government visit.

The former dissident playwright, accompanied by his wife, was the guest of the
Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace before talks at 10 Downing
Street with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Buckingham Palace was the venue for this special lunchtime meeting.

The Czech President Vaclav Havel, was in London on the first day of an official visit to the United Kingdom.

He was the guest of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, and was accompanied on the visit by his wife.

But the whole trip had been in doubt right up to the last minute.

After a U-S trip last month, Havel looked tired and had breathing difficulties, raising suspicion his visit to Britain may be postponed.

The 62-year-old leader fought off a life-threatening case of pneumonia in August and had an emergency surgery for a ruptured colon in April.

It was not the first meeting between Havel and the royals - they paid a state visit to the Czech Republic in March 1996.

So Monday's visit was a chance for them all to renew their friendship.

Havel has a busy schedule in the next few days.

On Tuesday, he flies to Belfast and on Wednesday will travel to Glasgow to receive one of two honorary degrees.

He will be given the second by Oxford University on Thursday.

After his lunch of sea bass, partridge and sorbet with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Havel was scheduled to go to 10 Downing Street for a meeting with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

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