Prince Charles has said that he won’t be attending the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The prince’s deputy private secretary Clive Alderton wrote: “As you know, His Royal Highness has long taken a close interest in Tibet and indeed has been pleased to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama on several occasions.”

“You asked if the Prince of Wales would be attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. His Royal Highness will not be attending the ceremony.”

Read more: Olympics: Prince Charles will not attend games, Tibet rights group says