At a glittering state banquet in Buckingham Palace, King Charles has praised his Qatari guests for their “tireless mediation efforts over the past year in pursuit of peace”.
The Emir of Qatar is on a state visit to the UK – and the King highlighted the Gulf state’s role in negotiations in the Gaza conflict and the return of Israeli hostages.
The diplomatic red carpet had been rolled out for the wealthy, gas-rich country, which has strong business and military ties to the UK.
Queen Camilla, who revealed she had been recovering from a form of pneumonia, attended the state banquet, having missed the outdoors parts of the official welcome.
State banquets are a centrepiece of such visits, held in the grandeur of the ballroom of Buckingham Palace, with a 4,000-piece dinner service.
Sir Keir Starmer, as prime minister, was on the top table for the first time, along with the King, Queen and Prince of Wales – and the Qatari royal couple, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch was sitting next to David Beckham, who on his other side was seated next to Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris St-Germain football club.
David Beckham had been seen earlier holding hands with his wife Victoria as they arrived at the banquet.
The guests sat behind elaborate table settings – with microphones poking out of the flower displays of those speaking on the top table.
On the menu was a tartlet of Cornish lobster and quails eggs for a starter; with pheasant wrapped in Savoy cabbage, roasted celeriac puree and potato gratin with cheese from Suffolk, truffle sauce and winter vegetables as a main course; followed by an iced bombe with organic Samoan vanilla ice cream and a Balmoral plum sorbet.
Each guest had a setting of five different glasses – and for those wanting an alcoholic drink, the wine list included Chapel Down Grand Reserve 2018, Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes, Domaine Genot-Boulanger 2019, Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac 2000 and a Chateau La Tour Blanche.
A renovation project at the palace means this will be the last such state banquet held here for the next couple of years, with the next likely to be at Windsor Castle instead.
King Charles welcomed the Emir of Qatar and praised the country’s mediation efforts in the Middle East.
“In the most desperate of circumstances, Qatar’s continued toil, perseverance and diplomatic efforts are quite simply invaluable,” said the King.
A champion of building bridges between religions, the King quoted from the Quran – “Whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity” – and words from the Bible, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
In response, the Emir praised the King’s efforts for “inter-faith dialogue” and said the UK and Qatar are “not only friends, but partners”.
State visits are a mix of elaborate ceremony and practical politics, offering hospitality on a grand scale to an important international partner. It’s soft power with parades and chandeliers.
This carefully choreographed effort to strengthen relations with Qatar began with a ceremonial greeting at Horse Guards Parade and then a carriage ride along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday there will be a meeting between the Emir and the prime minister at 10 Downing Street.
Qatar has been seen as an important bridge between the West and the Middle East, hosting international events such as the 2022 World Cup.The UK Foreign Office says Qatar is a key defence partner and that trade between the UK and the gas-rich Gulf state is worth £6.6bn per year, with £40bn of Qatari investment in the UK economy.
There are close military ties. The UK and Qatar have a joint RAF Typhoon squadron based at RAF Coningsby – the first joint RAF squadron since World War II, says the Foreign Office.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was part of the official welcome and carriage procession – her first participation in a state visit since the end of the chemotherapy that followed her cancer diagnosis. But she didn’t attend the state banquet in the evening.
The Queen had pulled out of the ceremonial welcome on a chilly Horse Guards Parade, as she continued to suffer from the side effects of a chest infection.
She told guests at the state visit that her chest infection had been a form of pneumonia, which has now cleared, but she still sometimes suffers from post-viral fatigue and bouts of extreme tiredness.
There have been criticisms over Qatar’s record on LGBT rights – and a small group of protesters shouted “Qatar’s anti-gay shame” as the royal carriages went past on the Mall.
There have been complaints about this week’s visit, including by the Peter Tatchell Foundation, which criticised Qatar’s record on LGBT rights, women’s rights and the treatment of migrant workers.
Human Rights Watch has said the visit should not ignore Qatar’s “troubling rights record”.
In response, the UK government says it regularly discusses human rights with its Qatari counterparts and is opposed to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our strong, historic ties with Qatar are vital to UK prosperity, growth and security.
“The UK government is committed to continued strong relations with Qatar to deliver partnerships of mutual value.”