Currently on a three-day visit to Mexico to promote trade and investment, the Prince of Wales made a high-security visit to a recently restored historic part of the Mexican capital on Thursday.
Accompanied by local billionaire Carlos Slim and a 50-strong squad of black-clad commando-style security personnel from Slim’s telephone company, the Prince visited the 16th-century House of Tiles. Local officials hope to make use of Britain’s experience in urban regeneration to breathe new life into the dilapidated city centre which has been under the protection of UNESCO’s World Heritage Programme since 1988.
He also unveiled a special stamp at the Central Post Office Charles commemorating the restoration programme.
The following day the Prince was scheduled to meet up with another Mexican success story, one in which the heir to the British throne had a very personal hand. During a visit to the country nine years ago, a desperate, newly orphaned 12-year-old boy fought his way through the crowd to tell the royal visitor: “I want help to be someone in my life, to improve myself. I don’t want money.”
Moved by the appeal, the Prince told young Jose Humberto Roman: “Everything is possible”. He then made sure that possibility had the chance to become reality by becoming his benefactor.
A scholarship was made available and, with personal funding from the Prince, Jose went on to attend a private university. There were numerous setbacks, but two months ago Jose, now aged 22, graduated with honours. And the Prince was presumably delighted to hear that the child who had begged him for a chance in life nine years ago was chosen give the graduation speech as outstanding student of his year.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
