Queen dons a headscarf during royal trip to Turkish mosque
THE Queen swapped her hat for a headscarf yesterday when she arrived at a mosque during her four-day state visit with Prince Philip to Turkey.
During a visit to the impressive 15th century complex of Sultan Mehmet I, which houses the Green Mosque and Tomb, the monarch removed her hat and white shoes and replaced them with a chocolate-coloured headscarf and slipper-type socks. She was given a detailed guided tour of the interior of the building by the head of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Professor Ilber Ortayli.
On Tuesday night a state banquet was held in honour of the royal couple, but Hayrunnisa Gul, the wife of the president Abdullah Gul, angered the country’s military leaders by wearing an Islamic headscarf. The republic’s top brass are defenders of Turkey’s secular heritage and have never accepted the decision of the president’s wife to wear the head covering.
The Queen’s visit to the republic is designed to strengthen Britain’s ties with Turkey, which the UK is supporting in its campaign to become a member of the European Union.
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Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 7:21 pm under