King Charles III has welcomed Sultan Haitham of Oman to Windsor, on the outskirts of London, at the start of a three-day state visit, the first by an Omani head of state in 44 years.
Sultan Haitham was escorted from his London residence to Windsor by Prince William, the Prince of Wales, where the Omani ruler was given a ceremonial welcome, including a royal salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The Omani and British national anthems were also played.
He then joined the king in the Irish State Coach for a horse-drawn carriage procession in the rain through the town to Windsor Castle, with the route lined by the armed forces. Queen Camilla was joined in the Scottish State Coach by Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Shihab bin Tariq.
Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, were joined in the Australian State Coach by Theyazin bin Haitham, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Loay bin Ghalib, Secretary General of the Diwan of the Royal Court. Other ministers made up the rest of the procession.
On arrival at the castle, the sultan, accompanied by the king, inspected the guard of honour, declining to use umbrellas.
The last time an Omani ruler paid a state visit to the UK was in 1982, when Sultan Qaboos visited Queen Elizabeth II.
Sultan Haitham will spend the day with the king and queen. The Omani ruler is due to view a special exhibition of items relating to Oman from the Royal Collection, before attending a banquet at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Downing Street on Wednesday.
The pair spoke in July, shortly after Mr Burnham became Prime Minister, when they discussed efforts to free up navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier that month, Sultan Haimath also met Keir Starmer, Britain's leader at the time, in Downing Street.
Sultan Haitham is to attend a banquet in the City of London on Wednesday evening and will visit the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London on Thursday to see how the former Olympic site has become an economic centre.
Major General (Retired) Richard Stanford, Chairman of the British Omani Society, who served extensively in Oman, said the relationship between the two countries goes back hundreds of years. He described the relationship as “unique, special and founded on mutual respect”.
He said the state visit was an “embodiment” of how important the relationship is between the countries and the two royal families. He said that as maritime nations which brings a “certain attitude to Gulf and global politics” based on centuries of connection, trade and diplomacy.
