Royal Family Latest News: King Charles and Queen Camilla to greet Emperor Naruhito of Japan at start of three-day state visit

The shopping center has been decorated with British and Japanese flags ahead of the start of Emperor Naruhito’s state visit which begins today.

The rehearsals took place yesterday with strict security measures around Buckingham Palace.

Check out these photos while preparations were in full swing.

Emperor Naruhito and his wife, Empress Masako, landed in the United Kingdom on Saturday, four years after their state visit was suspended due to the pandemic.

The couple enjoyed a warm welcome as they arrived at Stansted Airport for the week-long official state visit.

Naruhito, 64, and his wife attended the Queen’s funeral in 2022; This week he revealed how the late monarch had treated him “like family” when he previously visited the UK, but it took four years to reorganize a state. visit.

Read Jo Tweedy’s report here:

An unusual aspect of the Japanese state visit is the timing: the Emperor arrives during a general election campaign.

There were no incoming state visits at the same time as a general election campaign during the 70-year reign of Elizabeth II.

In 2017, a Spanish state visit by King Felipe VI was quickly rescheduled – following an agreement between the late queen and King Philip – because the date coincided with an early election in the United Kingdom.

A Palace spokesman said this week’s program had been “slightly adapted”, adding: “As a general principle, it has of course been adapted as a result of the current period of pre-election sensitivity.”

The missing elements appear to be the usual Downing Street talks with the Prime Minister, a speech at the Palace of Westminster by the visiting head of state and meetings with opposition leaders.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer are expected to take a break from the election campaign to attend the state banquet at Buckingham Palace, just over a week before the general election.

The Princess Royal will miss tonight’s state banquet after suffering minor head injuries and a concussion when she was knocked down by a horse at her Gatcombe Park estate.

Anne, an expert horsewoman who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, was walking around her property in Gloucestershire on Sunday afternoon when the incident occurred and after receiving medical attention at the scene, she was taken by road to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. for testing and treatment. and observation.

The 73-year-old will miss several engagements this week, including the state banquet and an overseas tour to Canada, which was due to begin this weekend.

The princess’ accident is the latest health scare to hit the royal family this year, as the King and Princess of Wales have been diagnosed and undergoing cancer treatment, and Sarah, Duchess of York, has breast cancer. fur.

Emperor Naruhito (pictured) and Empress Masako will begin their three-day state visit to the United Kingdom in a trip aimed at strengthening relations between the two nations.

Here’s what we can expect today:

• Prince William will receive the Emperor and Empress of Japan at their hotel on Tuesday morning and will travel with them to Horse Guards Parade, where they will receive a ceremonial welcome from the King and Queen.
• There will be presentations that will include the performance of the Japanese national anthem.
• The Emperor will then inspect the Guard of Honour, consisting of the 1st Battalion of Welsh Guards with the Band of Welsh Guards, accompanied by the King.
• The Emperor and Empress will later join the King, Queen and Prince of Wales in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
• Following a lunch hosted by the King, the Emperor and Empress will view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan.
• Later in the afternoon, the Emperor and Empress will visit Westminster Abbey, where the Emperor will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
• The Emperor and Empress will then return to Buckingham Palace for a state banquet.

Daily Mail royal correspondent Richard Palmer wrote the following ahead of the start of today’s state visit.

Amid all the splendor and pageantry of a state visit this week, King Charles and Emperor Naruhito of Japan will rekindle a friendship forged through fly fishing and barbecues at Balmoral.

It will be a chance to catch up and help promote the relationship between your two modern countries and perhaps compare notes on how your two ancient but “reduced” monarchies operate in the 21st century.

The two men came together in 1984, when Naruhito, the grandson of then-Emperor Hirohito, was a student at Oxford and spent a few days at the Royal Family retreat in the Highlands.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the Royal Family as the King and Queen prepare to welcome Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan at the start of their three-day state visit.

There will be plenty of pageantry and pageantry on display culminating in a state banquet tonight at Buckingham Palace.

We’ll be bringing you news, pictures and videos throughout the day, plus the latest on Princess Anne, who was admitted to hospital with injuries caused by a horse.