Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, joined the British royal family to welcome the Emir of Qatar on the first day of his state visit to the United Kingdom on Tuesday (3).
However, Queen Camilla was absent due to a persistent lung infection contracted last month.
Kate joined her husband, William, Prince of Wales, to meet Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his wife, Jawaher, at the start of their two-day visit, before the group headed to the Horse Guards parade at St. James’s Park, near Buckingham Palace, for a ceremonial reception.
They were then formally received by King Charles III before the British monarch inspected a guard of honor formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. After the military pomp, the group traveled back to the palace in a carriage procession to have lunch at the royal residence.
Kate wore a burgundy coat with a matching headpiece as she greeted the Qatari royals.
It has been confirmed that she will not attend a state banquet on Tuesday night where King Charles and the Emir will give speeches. Typically, around 150 VIPs with cultural and diplomatic ties to the country being honored are invited to the party.
On Wednesday (4), the emir will visit the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Berkshire, where he used to study. He will meet some of the people he studied with, as well as current Qatari cadets at the academy. He is also expected to head to Downing Street for a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Kate, 42, has been slowly returning to her royal duties after undergoing chemotherapy treatment earlier this year. Tuesday’s event marks his biggest return to duty yet, and is being seen by many as a significant marker of his strong recovery.
In October, the princess made her first public appearance since finishing her cancer treatment, traveling to Southport, northwest England, with William. She met with the grieving families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.
Last month, she also joined the Windsor clan as they marked Remembrance Day weekend in London. Queen Camilla was originally scheduled to attend but withdrew after catching a lung infection following her visit abroad to Australia and Samoa.
Queen Camilla’s recent viral chest infection has left her with some lingering side effects, including fatigue. In light of this, doctors asked her to take time off to fully recover and as such, adjustments were made to her schedule, including her participation in the emir’s visit.
Camilla missed the Emir of Qatar’s open-air arrival ceremony, but was expected to attend the palace lunch as well as the banquet. On Tuesday night, she is expected to pose for group photos, but will take a short break when guests are greeted in a reception line before dinner.
No further changes to the Queen’s schedule are expected for the rest of the week, although her medical team will offer guidance as symptoms may come and go for several weeks.
This content was originally published in Kate Middleton joins Prince William to welcome Emir of Qatar on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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