Amal Clooney is in Greece working on the historic and culturally significant case of the return of the Elgin Marbles from Britain, where she proved she isn’t taking any nonsense when speaking about her newly married life with George Clooney.
Amal Clooney is in Greece working on the historic and culturally significant case of the return of the Elgin Marbles from Britain, where she proved she isn’t taking any nonsense when speaking about her newly married life with George Clooney.
Amal, 36, officially tied the knot with George, 53, in Venice last month. Since the big day, the photogenic couple have been laying low on Honeymoon.
Until now that is, when the world’s media have gathered around their new queen Amal Clooney in Athens, Greece as she returns to work with her new married name and takes on one of the most famous and historically and culturally significant legal cases in the world.
Joining with high-profile fellow barrister Geoffrey Robertson and archaeologist David Hill, she met with Greek Minister of Culture Kostas Tasulas before addressing a press conference regarding the repatriation of Greek historical artefacts.
The case concerns ancient Greek classical marble sculptures currently housed in the British Museum in London, referred to as “Elgin’s marbles”, after British aristocrat Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, who pilfered them from the Parthenon in Greece in 1800.
Related: George and Amal’s celebrity wedding guests assemble in Venice
“This is an injustice that has persisted for too long,” Amal said of the dispute. She also toured the Acropolis museum with the Cultural minister to admire some of the works that remained.
“A horseman’s head is in Athens and his body is in London,” she said of one of the statues. “Poseidon’s torso is separated between Greece and the U.K. This means that they cannot be celebrated and appreciated as a whole in the country they came from.”
“Now,” she said, “is the time to right that wrong.”
Interestingly, Amal’s husband George starred in the film The Monuments Men earlier this year, the plot of which centres around a similar theme: the repatriation of art and cultural artefacts to their rightful owners after they had been pilfered by Nazis.
Speaking at a premiere for the film earlier this year, George also commented on the case of the Elgin Marbles: “I think you have a very good cause to make about your artefacts.” Returning them to Greece, he said, “would be a very fair and nice thing to do.”
When Amal was asked at the press conference whether or not George should be weighing in on her legal cases, she replied: “I would just hope that, even at this very early stage in marriage, I am wise enough to know that it’s up to my husband to choose which cause he wants to support or not.”
Amal looks effortlessly stylish as she returns to work with her new married name Amal Clooney.
In Athens to work on the historically and culturally significant case of the return of the Elgin marbles, Amal met with Greek Minister of Culture Kostas Tasulas.
Amal has always had an impeccable legal reputation as a barrister in international law but since marrying George Clooney last month she is now also one of the highest profile celebrities on the planet and hordes of photographers have followed her wherever she goes as she visits Greece on the historic case.
“This is an injustice that has persisted for too long,” Amal said at a press conference of the dispute between Greece and Britain regarding the repatriation of ancient Greek artefacts (known as the Elgin marbles) from the British museum in London.
Amal toured the Acropolis museum in Athens along with the President of the museum and the Minister for Culture to admire some of the historic sculptures that remain behind.
Amal was joined on the case by the famous Australian human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC and archaeologist David Hill.
“A horseman’s head is in Athens and his body is in London,” Amal said of one of the statues when speaking at the press conference. “Poseidon’s torso is separated between Greece and the U.K. This means that they cannot be celebrated and appreciated as a whole in the country they came from.”
“Now,” Amal said, “is the time to right that wrong.”
Interestingly, Amal’s husband George starred in the film Monuments Men earlier this year, the plot of which centres around a similar theme: the repatriation of art and cultural artefacts to their rightful owners after they had been pilfered by Nazis.
Speaking at a premiere for the film earlier this year, George also weighed in on the case of the Elgin Marbles: “I think you have a very good cause to make about your artefacts.” Returning them to Greece, he said, “would be a very fair and nice thing to do.”
When Amal was asked at the press conference whether or not George should be weighing in on her legal cases, she replied: “I would just hope that, even at this very early stage in marriage, I am wise enough to know that it’s up to my husband to choose which cause he wants to support or not.”
As she returned to work Amal officially changed her surname from Alamuddin to Clooney – as it appeared updated on the website of her law-firm, the London based Doughty Street Chambers.
Amal showed off her massive sparkling wedding ring as she met with officials in Athens.
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