British King Charles III and Queen Camilla welcomed Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife today in London, kicking off their three-day official visit to the country, including a military parade, a carriage procession and a state banquet, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Charles' son and British Crown Prince William went earlier to the hotel where Emperor Naruhito, 64, and Empress Masako are staying, before the three arrived together for the official welcoming ceremony with a parade of the Royal Horse Guards.
p>The two heads of state, King Charles wearing a top hat, inspected the guard of honor as soldiers stood tall in the summer heat in their traditional scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats. The monarchs then headed to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage encrusted with gilt edges.
Emperor Naruhito's visit aims to highlight and deepen military, cultural and scientific ties between the two countries and was postponed to 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The visit now takes place in the run-up to the UK general election on July 4, meaning some of the usual political elements will be missed.
There will be no Downing Street meeting; between the Emperor and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, although Sunak and Opposition Leader Keir Starmer will attend the state reception at Buckingham Palace tonight.
Emperor Naruhito came to London in 2022 for Queen Elizabeth's funeral and is attached to Britain, having studied here in the early 1980s.
The two monarchs will have time to discuss their memories at lunch today at Buckingham Palace. They will then view Japan-related items from the Royal Collection before touring Westminster Abbey in the afternoon.
The visit comes at a difficult time for the British monarchy after Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and Prince William's wife, Catherine, is undergoing preventive chemotherapy after she was also diagnosed with cancer.
p>Also, Britain's Princess Anne, the younger sister of King Charles III, suffered a head injury on Sunday in an accident, possibly involving a horse. Although Princess Anne is expected to make a full recovery, she has pulled out of the state reception.