RECEPTION IN THE HONOUR OF NIKOLA TESLA

Belgrade 11th July 2006 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II hosted a reception at the White Palace in honour of the 150th anniversary of Nikola Tesla’s birthday.

Crown Prince Alexander joined the national celebrations of this important jubilee in the year that is declared in Serbia as the one for Nikola Tesla.

Due to a previously arranged obligations abroad Their Royal Highnesses were not able to be present at The White Palace this evening, and on behalf of the host, the guest were received by Mr. Dragomir Acovic, member of the Advisory Bodies of The Crown.

Mr. Acovic read the welcome address of His Royal Highness in which Crown Prince Alexander recalled the story he was told by his father HM King Peter II about his meeting with the great scientist Tesla.

“My father, King Peter II had the honour to meet Nikola Tesla, and he often told me about the excitement that both of them felt when they met in New York in 1942. Tesla was 86 years old at the time, and he lived in the New Yorker Hotel, in a room on the 33rd floor unfortunately he wasn’t going out of for a while due to illness. My father was only 19 and for him to meet such an incredible man and scientist whom he considered to be one of the greatest minds of humankind was very exiting and unforgettable. He told me that Tesla addressed him with much emotion; he was physically weak, but mentally very alert and dynamic. Tesla bid my father farewell saying, “Your Majesty, God bless you”, and stood on his doorstep with a warm smile and tears in his eyes.

May Nikola Tesla be an inspiration for all our young and upcoming scientists” – said Crown Prince Alexander in his welcome letter expressing his gratitude to Mr. Terry O’Reilly, producer of the Violet Fire opera  and City Assembly of Belgrade  for making this creative production possible in Belgrade.

Among the attendees of this event were representatives of the public and cultural life of New York and Belgrade, representatives of diplomatic corps and members of the Advisory Bodies of The Crown. The special flavour of this evening gave two arias of the Violet Fire opera, which is dedicated to our famous scientist Nikola Tesla.