The King has paid tribute to the “profound, personal and historic” ties between our “two great nations” as he hosts the Emir of Qatar at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The British monarch is joined by the Queen who has not been taking part in the outdoor elements of the two-day state visit as she recovers from pneumonia.
Prince William is attending the banquet without Kate, who has only partially returned to public duties after she began treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Outside of the Royal Family, David and Victoria Beckham are among the public figures present at the banquet in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace.
King Charles and Queen Camilla stand with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher ahead of the state banquet. Pic: Reuters
David and Victoria Beckham walk to the Buckingham Palace ballroom. Pic: Reuters
The King began with a speech where he told the Emir it gives him the “great possible pleasure” to welcome him to the palace.
He continued: “In many ways, this evening might be seen as a homecoming, Your Highness is no stranger to these shores, having spent so much of your younger years at three of our most renowned institutions: Sherborne, Harrow and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Your many visits since then have served as a testament to the close personal ties that bind our nations and our families.”