Archimandrite Nilos
August 1863

[The portrait does not appear in the Silvy daybooks in the archives of the National Portrait Gallery. Archimandrite Nelos visited London in August 1863. The sitting therefore took place between July 1863 and June 1864, the period covered by the missing volume of the daybooks.]

'The Archimandrite Nilos has, we hear, arrived in England, from Constantinople, and is accompanied by his chaplain and secretary. The eminent ecclesiastic of the Greek Church is staying at the Coburg Hotel, Charles-street, Grosvenor-square. His excellency honoured the Bishop of London with his presence at a garden party at Fulham Palace on Saturday last, and will, we believe, also be entertained by his lordship at dinner this week' (Morning Post, 4 August 1863). 

'THE ARCHIMANDRITE NILOS — The Lord Bishop of London and Mrs Tate entertained at dinner, at Fulham Palace, on Wednesday last, the Archimandrite Nilos and suite. The Archimandrite, we may here explain, is the head of the Greek Monasteries on Mount Athos, and the guardian of the dedicated convents in the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. His eminence resides chiefly at Constantinople, in order to be able to exercise his ecclesiastical surveillance from a central position. We understand that he is looked upon, in well-informed circles, as the probably successor of the present Venerable Patriarch of Constantinople' (Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 15 August 1863). 

'On Saturday last the Archimandrite Nilos left the Coburg Hotel, Charles-street, Grosvenor-square, for Paris, en route for Constantinople. In the morning of Friday the Archimandrite paid a farewell visit to the Lord Bishop of London, at Fulham Palace; and in the afternoon of the same day Miss Burdett Coutts received the Archimandrite at her villa, Holly Lodge, Highgate. [...] The Archimandrite's visit to England and France, we believe, has had reference to the recent conduct of Prince Couza, Hospodor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, in seizing the lands and revenues of the dedicated convents of the Principalities, and in imprisoning and ill-treating certain of the monks. The Archimandrite has endeavoured to induce the Foreign Secretaries of England and France to use their influence with Prince Couza to compel a restoration of the lands and revenues and the liberation of the monks' (Illustrated London News, 22 August 1863). 

According to the London correspondent of the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle (29 October 1863): 'We have lately been lionising the head of the Greek Church, the "Archimandrite Nilos." The Bishop of London, in order to show his love for the Greek, as well as using the opportunity for casting a slur upon the head of the Catholic Church, has been introducing him to all the circle of fashionable society. His first acquaintanceship began by the Bishop giving a soirée, at which master Nilos was hob-nobbing it arm in arm with my Lord Bishop, for the edification of the upper ten thousand, who were the favoured guests. The Archimandrite's visit to this country is in connection with the recent seizure of some church property by the ruling Prince in Servia [sic] and to secure the good offices of our Government in his behalf.'