King Charles III receives the Sultan of Oman at Windsor — The National
King Charles III received Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman at Windsor at the start of a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. This is the first state visit by an Omani head of state to the country in 44 years, The National reports.
Ceremony at Windsor
Prince William accompanied the Sultan to Windsor, where a ceremonial welcome was held for him. During it, the Royal Horse Artillery fired a royal salute, and the national anthems of Oman and the United Kingdom were played.
Afterwards, Charles III and Haitham bin Tariq travelled in the Irish State Coach to Windsor Castle. The route of the procession, which took place in the rain, was lined with military personnel. Queen Camilla travelled in the Scottish State Coach together with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Shihab bin Tariq.
The Princess of Wales Catherine, Prince William, Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Theyazin bin Haitham, and the Secretary-General of Oman’s Royal Court, Loay bin Ghalib, travelled in the Australian State Coach. At Windsor Castle, the King and the Sultan were to inspect the guard of honour.
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State visit programme
During the day, the Sultan will spend time with the King and Queen and visit a special exhibition of Omani items in the Royal Collection. On Tuesday evening, he is due to attend a banquet at Windsor Castle.
On Wednesday, Haitham bin Tariq plans to hold talks with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street and attend a banquet in the City of London. On Thursday, the programme includes a visit to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, where the Sultan will be shown the transformation of the former Olympic site into an economic hub.
Previous visit
The last time an Omani ruler arrived in the United Kingdom on a state visit was in 1982, when Sultan Qaboos met Queen Elizabeth II. Retired Major General Richard Stanford, chairman of the British-Omani Society, said that ties between the two countries have a centuries-long history and are based on mutual respect.
