Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako stand close to Japan’s ambassador to the UK Hajime Hayashi (R) upon arrival at Stansted Airport, northeast of London, on June 22, 2024. The Japanese royal couple arrived in Britain forward of a three-day state go to hosted by King Charles III. Agence France-Presse
LONDON — Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will attend a lavish banquet thrown by their host King Charles III on Tuesday as they kick off a three-day state go to to the UK.
The couple arrived in Britain on Saturday, and carried out casual engagements over the weekend, together with an viewers with Japanese nationals within the UK and a go to to the Thames Barrier.
However the official pomp and pageantry begins on Tuesday with a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in London, the place a guard of honour will give a royal salute and the Japanese nationwide anthem might be performed.
READ: Japan’s emperor and empress to pay three-day state go to to UK
Naruhito, 64, and Charles, 75, will then examine the guard of honor earlier than participating in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace for lunch.
The king will take the emperor and empress to see a particular exhibition of things from the Royal Assortment referring to Japan, earlier than heading to Westminster Abbey to put a wreath on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The state banquet at Buckingham Palace — the showpiece of any state go to to the UK — will happen within the night.
The king, Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Occasion chief Keir Starmer, who’s broadly anticipated to win subsequent month’s election, will all be in attendance.
READ: Japan emperor, empress to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, not PM Kishida–Kyodo
All eyes are on a potential look by inheritor to the throne Prince William’s spouse Catherine, who has been seen at an official engagement solely as soon as since December final yr, resulting from most cancers therapy.
Princess Anne, the king’s sister, had been resulting from attend however she’s going to not be there as she recovers in hospital with concussion and minor accidents after apparently being injured by a horse.
‘Fond recollections’
The journey would be the emperor’s second official state go to since his accession to the throne in 2019, following a go to to Indonesia final yr.
It was initially resulting from happen in 2020 and would have been the emperor’s first abroad go to since he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne however it was delayed by the pandemic.
For Charles, will probably be the third state go to he has hosted since he grew to become king following the loss of life of his mom Queen Elizabeth II.
Like Catherine, he was identified with most cancers this yr however has made a restricted return to public duties.
Naruhito will go to The Francis Crick Institute, the UK’s flagship biomedical analysis centre, on Wednesday earlier than the Lord Mayor and Metropolis of London Company host a banquet for him within the night.
The emperor and empress will formally bid farewell to the king and queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday morning earlier than attending the “Japan: Myths to Manga” exhibition at London’s V&A museum.
The emperor will later privately go to Windsor Fortress to put a wreath on the tomb of the late queen, whose funeral he attended in September 2022.
Elizabeth, whose 70-year reign started in 1952, hosted two Japanese state visits throughout her reign: Emperor Hirohito in 1971 and his eldest son Emperor Akihito — Naruhito’s father — in 1998.
Talking forward of the journey, Naruhito stated Britain’s royals handled him “like household” throughout his time learning in England within the Eighties.
Naruhito recalled that in his two years at Oxford College, he was invited to Balmoral Fortress in Scotland for just a few days.
“I’ve very fond recollections of the queen driving a automobile and alluring me to a barbecue… and Prince Philip displaying me round by driving a carriage himself,” he instructed a uncommon press convention.
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The Japanese couple head to Oxford, west of London on Friday, and can fly house from close to there.
