The King receives the Emperor in London in brilliant sunshine. One prominent guest is missing: Princess Anne is still being observed in a clinic after an incident with a horse.
King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla welcomed the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako to the UK for their state visit with a military ceremony. The monarchs greeted each other on Tuesday in London on the Horse Guards Parade parade ground. A tent roof protected the heads of state from the hot sun.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and high-ranking government officials also attended the event. Previously, heir to the throne Prince William had picked up the imperial couple from his father’s hotel on behalf of his father.
The timing of the visit is surprising: a new parliament will be elected in Great Britain on July 4. During the 70-year reign of Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II, no state visits took place during election campaigns. The British news agency PA quoted an official from the Japanese Foreign Ministry as saying that it was not a political visit.
Princess Anne is missing
After the opening, the couples were to travel the short distance to Buckingham Palace in carriages. King Charles then wanted to show the Emperor a special exhibition at the Picture Gallery with exhibits related to Japan. In the afternoon, Naruhito and Masako were scheduled to visit Westminster Abbey before they were expected back in the evening for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
Charles’ sister Princess Anne cannot attend the reception. She is still being observed in a clinic following an incident with a horse on her private country estate. On Tuesday, her husband Tim Laurence visited her in the hospital for lunch. The 73-year-old has no memory of the incident on Sunday, in which she suffered minor injuries and a concussion, British media reported.
Wreath for Queen Elizabeth
The three-day state visit ends on Thursday. At the end, the Emperor will lay a wreath at the grave of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle.
The imperial couple had already landed in the British capital on Saturday and had attended several private appointments since then. After completing the official visit, the emperor and empress want to visit their former colleges at Oxford University before they leave on Friday.
Programme of the state visit
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
