The Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla wore outfits in the colours of the Omani flag as the Sultan of Oman began a three-day state visit to the UK on Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate joined King Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor to welcome Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said. The Prince of Wales greeted the Sultan at the Omani ruler's residence in London before the two travelled together to Windsor.
Royal welcome at Windsor
Charles, Camilla and the Princess of Wales waited on a special dais in the town centre of Windsor for the official greeting. The King wore a top hat and tails, while Camilla chose a red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, a hat by Philip Treacy and a ruby and diamond flower brooch. Kate wore a dark green coat dress.
The King, Queen, William and Kate braved the drizzly autumn weather on the dais. Charles removed his top hat to greet the Sultan with a wide smile and a handshake. Kate smiled and gave a deep curtsey as she shook hands with Sultan Haitham in the royal line-up.
Carriage procession to the castle
The royals then joined the Sultan for a carriage procession through Windsor to the castle. Charles sat in the first carriage with the Omani leader, while the Household Cavalry prepared their horses for the short journey.
The Queen followed in the Scottish State Coach with Oman's deputy prime minister for defence affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said. The Prince and Princess of Wales travelled in the Australian State Coach with Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said, secretary general of the diwan of the royal court.
Ceremonial welcome and state banquet
Upon arrival at Windsor Castle, a ceremonial welcome and inspection of the Guard of Honour took place in the quadrangle. The Sultan is believed to have joined the royals for lunch inside the castle before viewing exhibits from the Royal Collection.
Later tonight, William and Kate will join the King and Queen for a state banquet in St George's Hall, as is traditional for incoming state visits. Tomorrow, the Sultan will be farewelled by the King and Queen before returning to London, where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Downing Street, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The King met the Oxford-educated Sultan last July for tea at Windsor Castle during the foreign head of state's private visit to the UK. During that meeting, the two men reviewed the deep-rooted historical relations between their nations, focusing on enhancing cooperation across various fields to serve mutual interests and future visions.
The last state visit by a Sultan of Oman to the UK was in March 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Oman's previous leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Charles has made four official visits to Oman, the last in January 2020 when he travelled to Muscat to offer condolences after the death of Sultan Qaboos. The Prince and Princess of Wales also visited the country in 2016 for a two-day trip.
