BBC today.
Prince Charles said he felt deeply troubled by the plight of Christians.

"For 20 years I have tried to build bridges between Islam and Christianity to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding," he told the audience.

"The point though, surely, is that we have now reached a crisis where bridges are rapidly being deliberately destroyed by those with a vested interest in doing so.

"This is achieved through intimidation, false accusation and organised persecution including to the Christian communities in the Middle East at the present time."

The Coptic Church traces its origins back to the 1st Century when it was founded by the apostle St Mark.

The Syrian Orthodox Church says it was established by St Peter who became its first bishop.

Christians living in the Middle East have often had a wary relationship with their Muslim neighbours.

The Arab Spring though has led to an upsurge in violence with many Christians fleeing the region to avoid attack.

In Egypt, violence against the Copts increased after the military overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi.

Hundreds of church properties, homes and businesses were attacked and looted.