King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the Emir of Qatar at Buckingham Palace for a state visit.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher will stay at the royal residence from December 3 to 4.
The pair can expect to be welcomed by a traditional ceremonial Horse Guards Parade and a grand state banquet at Buckingham Palace during their two-day visit.
As the Prince of Wales, Charles has visited Qatar eight times. The monarch and the Emir most recently met last December at the Cop28 summit in the Middle Eastern country.
The Qatari leader and Sheikha Jawaher, the first of his three wives, were also present at the King’s Coronation in Westminster Abbey, as well as the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022.
The Emir is also expected to visit Downing Street during his visit, where he will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The pair last met in Paris during the Olympic Games this summer, and a No10 spokesperson said that the two leaders had “pledged to build on the existing partnership, particularly in areas of mutual opportunity, including education, business and energy”.
It is Charles’ second time hosting a state visit since he returned to work after receiving unspecified cancer treatment earlier in the year.
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King Charles and the Emir at Cop28 last December
Reuters
In June, he welcomed Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the UK. They were greeted with a Horse Guards Parade at the Royal Pavilion.
The Prince of Wales also played a crucial role, greeting the pair at their hotel before travelling with them in a convoy of cars to Horse Guards Parade.
Invitations for a state visit are sent out to foreign leaders on the advice of the UK Government.
The Emir is known as an anglophile, having attended Sherborne School and then Sandhurst in his youth.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is known as an anglophile
Getty
He became Emir at the age of 33 following the abdication of his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Qatar – one of the richest Gulf states – is a key mediator in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
However, the country has faced backlash over the years for its human rights record, particularly following the Fifa World Cup in 2022, when the abuse of migrant workers was brought to life.
