King Charles III hosts emir of Qatar on UK state visit

Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani was treated to a royal carriage procession and a lavish state banquet on the first day of his state visit to Britain Tuesday.

King Charles III is hosting the emir and his consort, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani on the two-day trip, which comes as the UK aims to seal a trade deal with oil-rich Gulf states.

The 44-year-old Qatari royal will also hold talks at Downing Street with the UK's Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The government, elected in July, is hoping to conclude a free trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council's six nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Starmer's government has staked its credibility on a pledge to grow the economy.

It says a GCC free trade deal could boost the UK economy by some £1.6 billion ($2 billion) and open up lucrative markets to British firms.

UK business minister Jonathan Reynolds recently described securing the deal as a "priority" for the Labour government.

The Qatari couple, who arrived Monday at Stansted airport east of London, were greeted by heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, at their Kensington Palace residence in west London.

The royal party then travelled to Horse Guards Parade in central London where they met Charles, 76, and received a ceremonial welcome.

His wife Queen Camilla, 77, missed the start of the proceedings due to the lingering effects of a chest infection, but arrived ahead of the others at Buckingham palace to attend other elements of the day.

Charles and the emir inspected the guard of honour before taking part in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace where they were met by a second guard of honour.

The Qatari couple then viewed a special exhibition relating to Qatar at Buckingham Palace.

In the evening they attended a state banquet hosted by Charles and Camilla, and attended by former England footballer David Beckham and his wife, the ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.

On the menu was Windsor pheasant, Cornish lobsters and a Balmoral plum sorbet.

Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, who has only recently made a tentative return to royal duties following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, did not attend the banquet.

- Rights record -

The Qatari leader was educated in Britain, attending leading private schools before graduating from the Sandhurst military academy.

He and Sheikha Jawaher attended both Charles' coronation in May 2023 and the funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.

Charles, as Prince of Wales, visited Qatar eight times and last met the emir at the Cop28 summit in Dubai last December.

On Wednesday the emir will visit Sandhurst before returning to Buckingham Palace to bid farewell to Charles and Camilla.

He will then join Starmer for a bilateral meeting at Downing Street followed by a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of London and the City of London Corporation, which runs the capital's financial district.

Trade between the UK and the Gulf nations currently tops £57 billion pounds ($72 bn), according to the British government.

Trade in goods and services between the UK and oil-rich Qatar alone was worth $6.8 billion at the end of the first quarter this year, the Department for Business and Trade said last month.

Starmer and Thani are also likely to discuss the Middle East, with Qatar a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in the conflict sparked by the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Ahead of the visit, rights body The Peter Tatchell Foundation said it would stage a peaceful protest close to Buckingham Palace as the emir arrives.

The foundation said it wanted to highlight what it called the Gulf nation's "appalling abuse of the human rights of women, LGBTs and migrant workers".

Qatar has faced criticism over its human rights record, in particular its criminalisation of same-sex relationships.