Times (Love her do: the Queen arrives in Slovenia to Beatle-like acclaim):

Back home she is the Queen, but in the Balkans she is a cultural icon to be mentioned in the same breath as the Beatles. That, at least, was the opinion of the Slovenian president today in a pronouncement which gave just a hint of the level of excitement greeting the start of her trip to the east European country.
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President Danilo Türk at least was more up to date on Royal matters. The Queen, he said, was very much admired in Slovenia. “She is a cultural icon of Europe and the whole world,” he said. “The Queen is a global figure. She is highly appreciated for her wisdom, for her dignity, her character. She has that cultural role which goes much beyond the borders of the United Kingdom. There is a global value, especially in Europe, where royalty is part of the culture. People like to relate to the Queen.”
Historically, he said, Britain has been popular with the smaller nations of Europe. “Britain is an important cultural phenomenon for this country. Many people of my generation were raised at a time of the Beatles, which changed the cultural landscape of the world. That creates a sense of friendship which is quite genuine.”

Telegraph (The Queen arrives in Slovenia):

The President of Slovenia earlier expressed his pride at hosting “one of the oldest monarchies in Europe” in one of the continent’s “youngest countries”.
As he prepared to welcome the arrival of the Queen, Danilo Turk told of the warmth held by the Slovenian people for the visiting dignitary.
He also spoke of the close cultural ties between the UK and his country, and his personal affection for the land of The Beatles, Shakespeare and Tate Modern.
Mr Turk, a former assistant secretary general at the UN, spent time in his youth in London and said the experience had left a lasting impression.
He said: “You have to understand I am a president of a country which is not only new but has very close cultural ties with Britain. I myself as a young man lived in London for a few months and that was important for me.”
The 56-year-old president continued: “I belong to a generation that was part of that cultural revolution with The Beatles.
“It was interesting because at the same time it was revolutionary in a cultural sense it happened in a country that is strongly attached to tradition.
“That has left a lasting impact at least to my generation.”
And he looked upon innovation in the UK as a continued source of inspiration for young people in Slovenia.
“My daughter for example loves Tate Modern, it is beyond my own level of understanding - it is a great gallery but I’m not so enthusiastic as she is,” he said.

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