Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate, took center stage as King Charles received Nigerian President Bola Tinubu at Windsor Castle on Wednesday (March 18), in the first state visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years.
Tinubu and his wife Oluremi were received by the heir to the throne, Prince William and his wife Kate for the trip to Windsor Castle.
They were then greeted by the King and Queen before a full welcome ceremony including a royal salute, a carriage procession and a state banquet.
Kensington Palace posted the video with an update on the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The royal couple were all smiles as they posed alongside Nigerian guests, greeting them at the Fairmont Hotel in Windsor.
Kate and William were the first royals to host visiting dignitaries during recent state visits.
The British monarch, 77, is expected to highlight deep cultural and commercial ties during Tinubu’s two-day visit.
Britain is home to a large Nigerian diaspora, with around 300,000 Nigerians living in the UK.
Major change to state visit at last minute
The royal family’s first official state visit of 2026 has finally begun. However, there is one traditional aspect of this week’s state visit that is different from usual.
There was no welcome lunch. This is because the president is Muslim and fasts during Ramadan.
Their visit falls at the end of the holy month, during which many Muslims fast and abstain from eating or drinking between dawn and sunset.
The program was specially adapted, with the monarch receiving the president in an audience in the afternoon instead of the usual welcome lunch.
