Ottoman Diplomats

Synopsis

Etienne Carathéodory Effendi describes the Belgian New Year’s reception, which allowed the foreign missions / legations to present their New Year’s greetings to the royal family. The King (Leopold II) was surrounded by his family, the ministers, his household and his military entourage. After having thanked the diplomatic corps through the papal nuncio, the King – closely followed by the Queen – engaged in separate conversations with the mission / legation heads. Carathéodory Effendi notes that the King recommended him to send this telegram, as he wished to present his New Year’s greetings to the Sultan and his family, even though he knew it was not their New Year. Carathéodory Effendi states that he already returned the wishes in name of the Sultan and his government. He adds that the King and Queen welcomed him with a lot of courtesy and that they received the entire legation with most kindness. At the end of the reception, Carathéodory Effendi presented the legation’s New Year’s greetings to the Count and Countess of Flanders: Prince Philippe of Belgium (brother of Leopold II) and his wife Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

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