The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, welcomed South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, for King Charles III’s first State visit. This State visit has great historical significance. This is the first Tiara event since the 2019 Diplomatic reception and the first State visit since the 2019’s US State visit to the UK. This is also King Charles III’s first state visit as the Monarch.
William and Catherine played a key role in the event and received President Cyril Ramaphosa in Central London’s Corinthia Hotel ahead of the official welcome ceremony. President Ramaphosa has worked closely with the late President Nelson Mandela and has been in office since 2018. His wife, First Lady Dr Tshepho Mostsepe, was unable to join her husband due to medical issues.
This was the second time when William and Catherine received the State visit Guest. In 2014, when they were The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine greeted President Tony Tan Keng Yam of Singapore and his wife Mary Chee Bee Kiang at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington during their state visit to the UK.
The President arrived in the UK yesterday and was received by Viscount Hood, Lord-in-waiting.
South Africa has always played a key role in British Royal History. The late Queen Elizabeth II delivered her historical speech on her 21st birthday in South Africa where she pledged her life to the service and remained true to her words until her death in September 2022. The last state visit from South Africa was hosted by The Queen in 2010.
What’s been cooking in the kitchens at Buckingham Palace for the State Visit? 👨🍳🇿🇦
The national flowers of South Africa, Protea, have been recreated out of sugar and painted with edible colouring, which will be presented at the State Banquet alongside petit fours and coffee. pic.twitter.com/roQxRDNqpd
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 21, 2022
State and official visits to the United Kingdom are formal visits by the head of state of one country to the United Kingdom, during which the British Sovereign acts as the official host of the guest. The Royal event is always full of British Pomp and Pageantry that involves all the assets in the Civil Service, the Royal Household and the Household Division.
No time for horsing around today! 🐎
Staff at the Royal Mews have been busy getting the horses ready for their starring role in tomorrow’s State Visit Carriage Procession. pic.twitter.com/uCOOtBXCGZ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 21, 2022
State Visits, both outward and incoming, play an integral role in strengthening Britain’s relationships with countries across the world. From Ethiopia to Chile, Thailand to Bahrain, Iceland to the USA, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, throughout her 70-year reign travelled to – or hosted visitors from – a huge number of different countries. The visits are planned at least 6 to 10 months or sometimes more ahead of the visit and involve precision and attention to the smallest things.
Talking about the importance and significance of the visit, British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson said,
“This will be the first State Visit hosted by His Majesty. It reflects the importance of the relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom. The visit will offer a chance to celebrate our modern-day partnerships delivering prosperity and security for both countries, as well as to set out how we can work together bilaterally and globally to strengthen those links for the future. It will mark the State Visit for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said he is “lookin forward” to welcoming President Ramaphosa to discuss “how we can deepen the partnership between our two great nations and capitalise on shared opportunities, from trade and tourism and security and defence.”
After welcoming the President at the Corinthia Hotel, The Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied the President to the Horse Guard Parade for the official welcome ceremony where the President was officially received by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The Guard of Honour gave the salute, military troops were inspected by the King and the President and after the national anthems, The Royals accompanied the Guests in the Horse drove carriages for a short journey towards Buckingham Palace.
The State Visit Carriage Procession, made up of the President of South Africa, The King, The Queen Consort, and The Prince and Princess of Wales, arrives at Buckingham Palace. 🐎 pic.twitter.com/JMTkZ0dy3E
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 22, 2022
The King and Queen joined the President in the Irish State Coach while The Prince and Princess of Wales joined Dr Naledi Pandor, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, in the second carriage for a return to Buckingham Palace. A 41-Gun Salute at Green Park was fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and a 62-round gun salute was fired by the HAC Regiment from the Tower of London to mark the state visit.
At Buckingham Palace, The King and Queen hosted a private luncheon for the President which was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and delegations of both countries. Then a small exhibition displaying the items from the Royal Collection relating to South Africa was viewed.
🗺️ The objects included a map showing the route of the Royal Train during the Royal Tour of South Africa, undertaken by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, in 1947.
This was the first visit to South Africa by a reigning British Sovereign. pic.twitter.com/BE02LnCMXx
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 22, 2022
In the evening a state banquet will be hosted by The King. We will be seeing Royal ladies in their full Royal glory with tiaras after two years.
For the day, The Princess of Wales, Catherine, chose an elegant style. Catherine was wearing a plum-shade Emilia Wickstead coat dress. Thanks to Daily Mail and Kate Midd Style for the id suggestions.
The Princess of Wales teamed up the coatdress with a new Sean Barratt hat. The design of the hat looks very close to the blue Sean Barratt hat that Catherine wore at the 2022 Commonwealth service.
The Princess of Wales was wearing Princess Diana’s Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings.
She wore Gianvito Rossi’s ‘Gianvito 105’ Burgundy pumps
and carried her Mulberry Bayswater Clutch with a pair of matching gloves.
The real Royal bling of the outfit was The Prince of Wales Feathers Brooch. This was the first time Catherine wore this brooch and it reflected her new status in the Royal Family – The Princess of Wales. Find more history and design details of the brooch here.
