The King and Queen have welcomed the Sultan of Oman to Windsor Castle at the start of a three day state visit, the first by an Omani ruler to the United Kingdom in 44 years.
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, who arrived at Stansted on Monday, was greeted at his London residence this morning by the Prince of Wales, acting on behalf of the King. The two men travelled together to Windsor, where the King and Queen waited on a specially built dais in the town centre alongside the Princess of Wales.
The royal party and their guest then took part in a horse-drawn carriage procession through the town to the castle, where the Sultan received a ceremonial welcome and inspected a Guard of Honour in the quadrangle. Tonight, the working members of the Royal Family will gather in St George's Hall for a state banquet in his honour.
A first for the Burnham era
The visit carries significance well beyond the pageantry. It is the first incoming state visit since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the UK, although Harry and Meghan, who are not working royals, play no part in official engagements. It is also Andy Burnham's first state banquet as Prime Minister, requiring him to don white tie and tails and take his place close to the King among the principal guests.
Tomorrow the ceremonial gives way to politics. The Sultan will hold talks with Mr Burnham in Downing Street against the backdrop of the continuing conflict in the Middle East. The pair met in July, when the Prime Minister thanked Oman for its mediation efforts in the region, including attempts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Oman State Visit at a Glance
- Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's state visit runs from today until Thursday, hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.
- Prince William greeted the Sultan at his residence this morning and travelled with him to Windsor.
- A carriage procession through the town was followed by a Guard of Honour in the castle quadrangle.
- Tonight's state banquet in St George's Hall is Andy Burnham's first as Prime Minister.
- The last state visit by a Sultan of Oman was in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Sultan Qaboos at Buckingham Palace.
Security and ceremony
Thames Valley Police said there was a significant security presence in Windsor for the visit, including airspace restrictions for an extended period and enhanced measures around the procession route. Adrian Hall of the force told the BBC that officers had a vast amount of experience of policing royal events in the town, and that significant planning had gone into the operation.
An old friendship renewed
The Royal Family marked the occasion by releasing historic photographs, including a black and white image of the late Queen's state visit with Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1982, and a more recent picture from the then Prince of Wales's tour of Oman in 2016. The King, who visited the sultanate four times as Prince of Wales, most recently received Sultan Haitham for tea and a private meeting at Windsor in the summer of 2025.
For the Palace, the visit is a showcase of soft power at a moment when Britain's relationships in the Gulf carry unusual weight. For the Sultan, an Oxford educated former businessman, it is an affirmation of a friendship his office prizes as one of the oldest and warmest in the region. The banquet tonight, with the full splendour of St George's Hall, will set the seal on the opening day.