King Charles is hosting the first Nigerian state visit to the UK for 37 years, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, receiving a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle.
At the start of the two-day visit, the leaders of the African nation with the biggest population, triple that of the UK, were greeted by senior royals, including Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The King and President Tinubu will give speeches on Wednesday evening at the state banquet, which will be attended by political leaders and celebrities with links to Nigeria.
However, there will be no traditional lunch with the King at Windsor, as the president is a Muslim and fasting for Ramadan.
In warm spring sunshine, the president and first lady, wearing traditional robes, were given the ceremonial grandeur of a royal welcome.
There was a carriage procession, bringing the Nigerian visitors into the quadrangle inside Windsor Castle, where a military band, with careful symmetry, paraded on the checkerboard lawn.
There was a gun salute, national anthems were played, guards were inspected, and the Household Cavalry kicked up dust as they paraded inside the castle, in front of a viewing stand for the King and Queen and their visitors.
President Tinubu and Mrs Tinubu had been met earlier by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, before being escorted to formally meet the King and Queen.
When the royal hosts and their visitors went inside the castle, they viewed Nigerian items from the Royal Collection, including a Yoruba throne, sculptures, paintings, and the manuscript of a poem by Sir Ben Okri.
Official gifts were exchanged. The president and Mrs Tinubu were given hand-crafted pottery, a silver photo frame containing a picture of the king and queen, and a silver and enamel bowl.
In return, the king and queen were given a traditional Yoruba statuette and a jewelry box featuring the faces of important Nigerian women.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
