A three-day state visit to Britain, hosted by King Charles III, begins on Saturday with the arrival of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. The royal couple will be greeted upon their arrival from Japan and will participate in private events on Sunday and Monday before the formal schedule commences on Tuesday.
The highlight of the visit will be a state dinner at Buckingham Palace, an event that has drawn attention due to the potential appearance of Prince William’s wife, Catherine, who has been undergoing cancer treatment and has made limited public appearances. Catherine’s absence from public life is attributed to chemotherapy, and her recent return to the public eye was marked by her participation in a military parade commemorating Charles’ formal birthday.
Emperor Naruhito, 64, and Empress Masako, 60, previously attended the state burial of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. This visit will see them lay a wreath at her tomb in Windsor Castle. While a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is not confirmed due to Britain’s ongoing general election campaign, traditionally visiting heads of state interact with parliamentarians or engage in discussions with the opposition leader and prime minister. However, with parliament dissolved prior to the July 4 election, there are no current MPs.
This state visit marks Emperor Naruhito’s second formal state visit since assuming the throne in 2019, following his visit to Indonesia the previous year. For King Charles, this will be his third state visit since assuming the throne upon his mother’s passing. Charles himself was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and has recently resumed limited public appearances, most notably at the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting with his wife, Queen Camilla.
The visit’s programme includes a Guard of Honour ceremony, a carriage procession at Buckingham Palace, and visits to museums and the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre in London. Before departing on Friday, the Japanese Emperor and Empress will visit Oxford, their former university, for private engagements.
Emperor Naruhito has expressed fondness for the British royal family, reminiscing about his time in England during the 1980s, where he felt treated “like family.” He recounted his experiences at Balmoral Castle in Scotland during his two years at Oxford University. “I have very fond memories of the queen driving a car and inviting me to a barbecue… and Prince Philip showing me around by driving a carriage himself,” he shared with reporters in a rare press conference.
During her 70-year reign, starting in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II hosted two state visits from Japan: Emperor Hirohito in 1971 and his eldest son, Emperor Akihito, who was also Naruhito’s father, in 1998.
