Prince William welcomes Japan’s Emperor and Empress to London

The much-anticipated State Visit by the Emperor and Empress of Japan began today, with Prince William formally welcoming the couple to the UK on behalf of the King.

The Prince of Wales met the royal visitors at their London hotel this morning before escorting them to Horse Guards Parade, where Charles and Queen Camilla are receiving them with a ceremonial welcome.

William’s wife, the Princess of Wales, will not be taking part today as she continues to undergo preventative chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako arrived at Stansted Airport in Essex on Saturday and have undertaken a series of private engagements since then, but today marks the first formal element of their state visit which will run until Thursday.

The King and Queen will greet the Emperor and Empress at the Royal Pavilion on the iconic quadrangle before presentations are made, the Guard of Honour gives a royal salute and the Japanese national anthem is played.

The Emperor, accompanied by the King, will then inspect the Guard of Honour, formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards with the Band of the Welsh Guards.

Afterwards, the Emperor and Empress will join Charles, Camilla and William in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they will be met by a second Guard of Honour formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Following a lunch at Buckingham Palace given by The King, His Majesty will invite the Emperor and Empress to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan.

In the afternoon, the Emperor and Empress will visit Westminster Abbey, where His Majesty will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

Then this evening, the King, accompanied by Camilla and senior members of the Royal Family, will hold a glittering state banquet at Buckingham Palace in his guests’ honour, attended by senior figures from both countries and politicians. Speeches will be made by The King and the Emperor at the start.

Princess Anne will not be present as expected after suffering an accident involving a horse at her Gloucestershire home on Sunday.

The state visit by Emperor Naruhito, ruler of the Chrysanthemum throne, and Empress Masako comes just days before the UK goes to the polls next week.

There were no incoming state visits at the same time as a general election campaign during Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.

In 2017, a Spanish state visit by King Felipe VI was quickly rescheduled – after an agreement between the late Queen and King Felipe – because the date clashed with a snap election in the UK.

A Palace spokesman said this week’s programme had been ‘slightly adapted’, adding: ‘As a general principle, it has of course been adapted as a result of the current pre-election period of sensitivity.’

There had been fears the visit could be cancelled entirely in view of the forthcoming General Election.

But following discussions between palace officials, the Foreign Office and the Cabinet Office it was instead adapted to take account of political sensitivities.

Members of the Royal Family have been forced to shelve a number of forthcoming engagements that could be seen as diverting attention from campaigning or appear to favour one political party ahead of the country going to the polls on July 4.

But this week’s visit going ahead was good news for palace planners, who had been previously forced to postpone an earlier visit by the Japanese rulers in 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic.

Missing elements of the visit appear to be the usual Downing Street talks with the Prime Minister, a speech to the Palace of Westminster by the visiting head of state, and meetings with opposition leaders.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer are expected to take a break from the campaign trail to attend the state banquet.

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the emperor and empress’s visit would not be a political one and it was hoped it would forge ‘friendly relations across generations’ between Japan’s imperial family and the British royal family.

The dinner, in the ballroom of the Palace, will see Mr Sunak and Sir Keir dress in white tie, process in and take their seats around the horseshoe-shaped table to hear speeches and toasts by Charles and the emperor.

A prime minister usually sits near the head of the table, with the leader of the opposition positioned further down.

State visits are planned by the Foreign Office, in consultation with the Palace.

William, who is president of the Football Association, is expected to be at the state banquet but it clashes with England’s last group game in the Euro 2024 tournament.

The Japanese visitors will spend seven days in the UK after arriving at Stansted Airport on Saturday to carry out private engagements before the official state visit.

The key event in the royal calendar is Charles’s first incoming state visit since his cancer diagnosis.

The Emperor and Empress will also undertake a number of private engagements including a visit to Oxford University, where they both studied.

They will also visit St George’s Chapel at Windsor to lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The chapel, which is the home of the Order of The Garter, displays the ‘garter banner’ belonging to the Emperor’s father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who abdicated in 2019.

The King and Queen will formally bid farewell to their guests on Thursday.

The state visit is being seen as hugely important for Anglo-Japanese diplomatic, trade and cultural relations at a crucial time for the UK, particularly economically.

Anne will miss the state banquet after suffering minor injuries to her head and concussion when she was reportedly kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.

The Princess Royal, a skilled horsewoman who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, was walking on her Gloucestershire estate on Sunday evening when the incident happened.

After being given medical care at the scene, she was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by road for tests, treatment and observation.

The 73-year-old will miss several engagements this week, including an overseas tour to Canada which was due to start this weekend.

Her accident is the latest health upset to the hit the Royal Family this year, with the King and Kate both being diagnosed with and undergoing treatment for cancer, and Sarah, Duchess of York, having skin cancer.