Prince William and his wife Princess Kate took centerstage as King Charles hosted 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 heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Kate for the journey to Windsor Castle.
They were then greeted by the King and Queen before a full ceremonial welcome featuring a royal salute, a carriage procession and a state banquet.
Kensington Palace released the video with update on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account.
The royal copuple were all smiles as they posed alongside Nigerian guests, greeting them at the Fairmont Hotel in Windsor.
Kate and William have been the first royals to host visiting dignitaries for recent state visits.
The Britain’s monarch, 77, is set to highlight the deep cultural and commercial links during Tinubu’s two-day visit.
Britain is home to a large Nigerian diaspora, with about 300,000 Nigerians living in the UK.
Major change made to state visit at the last minute
The royal family’s first official state visit of 2026 is finally underway, 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 a Muslim and is fasting for Ramadan.
Their visit falls at the end of the holy month, during which many Muslims fast and refrain from eating or drinking between dawn and sunset.
The programme has been specially adapted, with the monarch receiving the president during an audience in the afternoon instead of hosting the usual welcome lunch.
