Sultan Haitham’s UK Visit Opens at Windsor Castle

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s state visit to the United Kingdom opened on Tuesday with a formal welcome at Windsor Castle and a carriage procession through the town. King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted the Sultan at a state banquet in the castle that evening, marking the first UK state visit by an Omani sultan since 1982. The royal welcome included Prince William, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and the King and Queen. The Sultan inspected a Guard of Honour, and British and Omani anthems were played during the ceremony, according to reports of the day’s events. The visiting party then travelled by carriage to Windsor Castle. At the evening banquet in St George’s Hall, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted Sultan Haitham and members of the Omani delegation. Senior members of the British royal family and government attended. Prime Minister Andy Burnham was among the guests, and the banquet was his first as prime minister, according to advance reporting. The visit was described in reports as the first UK state visit by an Omani sultan since Queen Elizabeth II hosted Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1982. Haitham became sultan in 2020. He met King Charles at Windsor Castle in 2025...