The Prince and Princess of Wales departed from a recently established tradition by not releasing an official portrait ahead of Wednesday night's state banquet for the Nigerian President. Royal fans had grown accustomed to seeing a formal photograph of the couple before the white-tie events, a practice introduced last year for banquets hosted by the King and Queen for the French, US, and German leaders.
Instead of a portrait, Kensington Palace released an edited video of the couple's evening. The absence of the photo was noted by royal watchers on social media, with one writing: 'I think we all missed the State Banquet official portrait as you shared with us in the last three occasions; was a beautiful new tradition you started.' Another asked: 'Who is the person behind this decision?'
The state banquet, the first of the year, was hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle. The Princess of Wales wore a green gown by Andrew Gn and the Lover's Knot tiara, while Queen Camilla chose a cream embroidered dress by Fiona Clare and a sapphire tiara. The King and Prince William wore suits.
Earlier in the day, William and Kate welcomed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and his wife at the Fairmont Hotel in Windsor, before joining the King and Queen for a carriage procession to the castle. Nigeria's last state visit to the UK was in 1989, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
