London, UK: King Charles will soon welcome South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the first state visit under the new English monarch’s reign.

A state banquet will be held at Buckingham Palace as part of the visit, which will have a major role for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince William and Princess Kate will extend greetings to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife, Ms. Tshepo Motsepe. They will then head to the official reception at Horse Guards Parade with the couple.

The military procession will feature two hundred horses and a thousand soldiers, with gun salutes being fired from Green Park. The President, the King and Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales will travel to Buckingham Palace in a state carriage parade for a private lunch.

The King will then show to the President his Royal Collection containing South African-related artifacts. State visits are the ultimate diplomatic gift, and the Foreign Office decides who is invited.  They give the UK Government a chance to foster and strengthen international ties. This one though has particular significance for the King as it is the first of his reign.

King Charles will speak at the beginning of the meal, and his remarks will be carefully chosen. The King might take this chance to outline his goals for the Commonwealth. It is also the first state visit to the UK since the pandemic, with the previous one in 2019 when the Queen hosted Donald Trump.  The Queen hosted 116 state visits during her reign and was renowned for paying close attention to details.

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