King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman at Windsor on October 20, opening the first state visit to Britain by an Omani sultan since 1982.
The Prince and Princess of Wales joined the ceremony, which included gun salutes, a horse-drawn carriage procession and a military Guard of Honour, PEOPLE reported from the day’s events.
The three-day visit runs through October 22. Buckingham Palace announced the dates in September and confirmed Windsor Castle as the royal hosts’ base for the occasion.
Prince William began his part in the welcome by meeting the Sultan at his London residence on behalf of the King and accompanying him to Windsor. Charles and the Sultan subsequently inspected the Guard of Honour after the national anthems were played.
The 44-year gap refers specifically to state visits. Charles and the Sultan have met more recently: the Palace records a private meeting and tea at Windsor on July 4, 2025.
Charles also travelled to Oman four times as Prince of Wales. His most recent visit in that role came in January 2020, when he went to Muscat to offer condolences following Sultan Qaboos’s death. Camilla accompanied Charles on a two-day Oman visit in November 2016.
The previous Omani state visit was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1982, with Sultan Qaboos as her guest.
Tuesday’s welcome turns the programme announced last month into a visible royal occasion, bringing together two generations of Britain’s royal family as the Sultan begins his official engagements.
Related: Background to the Oman state visit.
Sources
Royal Household announcement and historical background; PEOPLE’s Windsor ceremony report; Prince William’s welcome.