Op-ed: Serbian royals receive Peace Cookbook from author Wheeler del Torro

^{Photo: Wheeler del Torro (L) presenting a pre-launch copy of his book, ‘The Peace Cookbook’ to the head of the Serbian Royal Family, Crown Prince Alexander (R) and his wife, Crown Princess Katherine (M) at their Palace on May 15 / © Igor Ursic}

Author Wheeler del Torro presented a copy of The Peace Cookbook to Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia at the Royal Palace, ahead of the book’s public release in the fall.

The cookbook, published by Evaluation + Learning Press in partnership with the Foundation for Post Conflict Development, is scheduled for release on Sept. 21, 2026, the United Nations International Day of Peace. The book collects recipes from post-conflict countries and presents shared meals as a form of cultural diplomacy.

Del Torro said he chose to present the book to the Serbian royal household in part because of HRHCrown Princess Katherine’s long humanitarian record. The Crown Princess founded Lifeline Humanitarian Organization in 1993, during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

For more than three decades, the group has delivered medical equipment, educational support, and aid to hospitals, orphanages, schools, and refugee populations in Serbia, according to the organization. The book’s premise, that hospitality and shared meals can build trust across political lines, reflected the spirit of that work, del Torro said.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander, who lived in exile until 2001 and has spent decades engaged in international affairs, exemplifies the kind of personal diplomacy the book describes, del Torro said.

Over a private dinner that followed the presentation, the Crown Prince recounted memories of Sir Winston Churchill, his family’s long ties to the British royal family, including his godmother Queen Elizabeth II, and his friendship with Prince Albert II of Monaco, del Torro said.

The Crown Prince suggested that each relationship was built and sustained not through formal meetings but through the intimate opportunities that only shared meals and personal hospitality can create.

Follow these links to learn more about the Royal Family of Serbia and the Royal Compound: https://royalfamily.org/ and their humanitarian engagement through Lifeline: https://lnkd.in/d5YFGJ7v

Submitted to TheAfricanDream® by Wheeler Del Torro