Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia has paid tribute to late 'Only Fools and Horses' star John Challis who died on Sunday (19.09.2021) at the age of 79.
John Challis
John is best remembered for playing the role of car dealer Boycie in the iconic sitcom and he previously visited Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to make a documentary exploring why the European country is obsessed with the adventures of Del Boy and Rodney.
Now, the prince has spoken out on John's passing, insisting his country has lost a "dear friend".
In a statement, the royal said: "It was with great sadness that I received the news that our dear friend Mr John Challis had passed away.
"All our people have lost a sincere friend.
"I am very grateful to Mr Challis for his support of the humanitarian work of my wife.
"May he live forever in our hearts."
John's documentary 'Boycie in Belgrade', which is available on Amazon Prime and to buy as a DVD, saw him explore the country and meet with various people to discuss the appeal of 'Only Fools and Horses' in Serbia, and in one scene the actor is mobbed as he travels to meet the Prime Minister.
Previously discussing the doc, John admitted the entire trip was fascinating to him.
He said: "I found the people really friendly and of course they were delighted anyone connected with the show and crowds followed us about all over the place.
“But also, it's a fascinating country Serbia, I’m a bit of a history buff and I didn't know much about that part of the world.
“I found out an awful lot of the history and of course it’s been through terrible wars.
“I went to royal palaces and I went to the British Embassy and the big local football club and all over the place.
“There were lots and lots of murals of Del Boy and Rodney and uncle Albert and the rest of us on the walls.”
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