The King has paid tribute to the “profound, personal and historic” ties between our “two great nations” as he hosts the Emir of Qatar at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The British monarch is joined by the Queen who has not been taking part in the outdoor elements of the two-day state visit as she recovers from pneumonia.
Prince William is attending the banquet without Kate, who has only partially returned to public duties after she began treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Outside of the Royal Family, David and Victoria Beckham are among the public figures present at the banquet in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace.
Mr Beckham was seen sat next to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch inside the banquet hall.
David and Victoria Beckham walk to the Buckingham Palace ballroom. Pic: Reuters
The King began with a speech where he told the Emir it gives him the “great possible pleasure” to welcome him to the palace.
He continued: “In many ways, this evening might be seen as a homecoming, Your Highness is no stranger to these shores, having spent so much of your younger years at three of our most renowned institutions: Sherborne, Harrow and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Your many visits since then have served as a testament to the close personal ties that bind our nations and our families.”
David Beckham with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch
In an apparent reference to Qatar’s mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas in relation to the war in Gaza, the King also told those gathered: “I would particularly like to express the United Kingdom’s deepest gratitude for your tireless mediation efforts over the past year in pursuit of peace, against the most unbearable heartache and suffering.
“In these most desperate of circumstances, Qatar’s continued toil, perseverance and diplomatic efforts are, quite simply, invaluable.”
