Prince Charles talks environment, roots in Budapest

Prince Charles spoke about his Hungarian roots and climate change at the gala dinner the Hungarian president hosted in honour of the visiting royal couple in Budapest on Wednesday.

The Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, started their four-day official visit to Hungary today.

"I feel I have a somewhat special relationship with Hungary since I am proud to be one thirty-second Hungarian myself, through my Great Great Great Grandmother, Countess Rhedey," Prince Charles said at the event in Sandor Palace, the Hungarian president's office in the Buda Castle.

On environmental issues, the Prince of Wales described himself as being "a kindred spirit" with Solyom over the importance of fighting climate change.

He said that scientists agree that it is important not only to find solutions for tackling the risks posed by "ever-rising" temperatures, but also to put and end to the unsustainable use of our natural resources, both on land and sea.

"There is no doubt that we are pushing our fragile eco-systems to breaking point," he said.

Prior to the dinner Solyom presented to Prince Charles the Hungarian Republic's Order of Merit with the Grand Cross in recognition of his environmentally-conscious thinking and farming activities.

Solyom noted that beside the environment equal opportunities including Roma integration will be in the focus of the royal couple's visit.

"Unequal opportunities are a particularly heavy burden on minorities and migrants who have not integrated into the majority society. The proportion of people of Gypsy origin is particularly high among them, and their integration is an issue that calls for solution not only in Central and Eastern Europe but on the whole continent," Solyom said at the dinner.

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