Charles and Camilla begin tour of Eastern Europe

Mar 15, 2010, 16:58 GMT

London - Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla were greeted in Poland by President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria on Monday at the start of a tour that will also take in Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The heir to the throne was due to meet with Prime Minister Donald Tusk later in the day.

Since the theme of Charles' visit is the environment, he plans to visit the Bialowieza National Park, in the north-east of the country, which is home to the largest surviving herd of European bison, as well as the continent's only remaining primeval forest.

The royal couple will travel on to Hungary on March 17 where they are slated to meet President Laszlo Solyom, known for his support of various environmental causes.

From March 20 to 23 they will be in the Czech Republic, where Charles is to visit Hostetin, said to be the country's greenest community because of its use of alternative energy and other environmentally friendly technology.

The Prince of Wales has previously paid official visits to Poland and Hungary three times, and has visited the Czech Republic on four occasions - two of them while it was still part of former Czechoslovakia.