King Charles meets Japanese Emperor: The banquet was so glamorous

Japan’s imperial couple, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, are currently on a state visit to Great Britain. And that must be celebrated! On Tuesday evening, King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted a splendid state banquet in honor of the 126th Emperor and his wife at Buckingham Palace.

Camilla and Masako choose glamorous tiaras

Both couples were bursting with glamour: Both Queen Camilla and Empress Masako wore white floor-length robes, royal sashes and sparkling tiaras. Camilla chose the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which she first presented during a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeo in November 2023. The tiara was made in 1973 from diamonds and rubies that Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, had received as a wedding gift from what is now Myanmar (formerly Burma). Camilla also debuted a new royal order on her sash. The Queen wore a diamond necklace around her neck.

The Japanese Empress Masako chose the diamond-studded Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara, which she wore for the first time. This is a tiara that can only be worn by the Empress. King Charles and Emperor Naruhito each wore classic black tailcoats and white bow ties, as well as numerous royal medals. State banquets are formal dinners where the dress code “white tie” usually applies. It is the most formal and festive dress code for evening events.

The dinner menu included poached lobster, basil mousse, Cornish turbot, quail eggs and peach sorbet.

King Charles jokes about Hello Kitty and Pokémon

In a speech, the British monarch addressed his Japanese guests in a typically humorous manner: “It has been a pleasure to learn the British background behind certain Japanese cultural icons. Perhaps you will allow me to mention a particular person who turns fifty this year, grew up with her twin sister in a London suburb, is a billionaire entrepreneur and a UNICEF ambassador to boot. I can only wish a happy birthday… Hello Kitty!”

In his speech in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom, Charles also quoted the famous Pokémon motto “Gotta catch ’em all” as he explained that he had not had so much luck in his recent fishing attempts. In the more serious part of his address, the King described the partnership between Japan and the United Kingdom as “deep-rooted”. “For over four hundred years, our nations have inspired each other, learned from each other’s experiences and enriched our industries, cuisines and cultures with borrowed and shared elements,” the monarch said. “Our partnership is also one that continues to grow and flourish, producing new shoots and branches,” Charles added, before concluding with a few words in Japanese.

In a speech, Emperor Naruhito emphasized how much he enjoyed studying at Oxford as a young man. The grandson of the then Emperor Hirohito studied in the English university city in the 1980s and spent a few days at the Royal Family’s Scottish country estate, Balmoral, in 1984, where he and Charles (then Prince of Wales) spent time fly fishing and barbecuing.

Among the approximately 150 guests at the state banquet were Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Keir Starmer and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as other members of the Royal Family, including Prince William and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Princess Kate, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, and Princess Anne, who is in hospital after a head injury, were not present.