King Charles will receive the president of South Africa as a king

• As he welcomes the president of South Africa to the UK, the King will host his first state visit in his capacity as monarch.
• First foreign head of state to visit the UK in three years is Cyril Ramaphosa.
• Mr. Ramaphosa will address lawmakers at a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.

As part of the two-day journey, King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will host a supper for President Cyril Ramaphosa at Buckingham Palace.

Additionally, Mr. Ramaphosa will address lawmakers at a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.

After being halted during the Covid epidemic, it has been more than three years since the last state visit to the UK.

Tuesday morning, the South African president will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales at his hotel in London before being escorted to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremonial greeting with the King.

Then, as part of a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, His Majesty will go down the Mall beside Mr. Ramaphosa.

The King will host the president there for a private lunch and take him to see an exhibition of South African-related artefacts from the Royal Collection.

In keeping with tradition, Mr. Ramaphosa, who has served as the president of South Africa’s government since 2018, will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey before speaking to lawmakers and peers in the Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster.

Later, both men will deliver addresses at a glitzy white-tie luncheon that the King will host at Buckingham Palace for President Ramaphosa.

The visit adheres to the customary schedule established under the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In a diplomatic setting, this would be the equivalent of bringing out the finest plates and cutlery to impress guests.

Flags are displayed on the Mall, honour guards will ride in a ceremonial carriage, and a banquet will be held at Buckingham Palace.

The banquet’s dinner service dates back to George IV, and its goals of courting distinguished guests are far older.

Because the toasts and tiaras are part of a real soft-power strategy. 30% of the UK’s total commerce with Africa, worth about £11 billion annually, is with South Africa.

The King will want to convey a message that bettering relations is important because he is now the head of the Commonwealth.

With the backdrop of a worsening cost of living issue, there will also be attention to local concerns. Red carpets will be present, but for a reason.

The president is seeking to use the state visit to rally support for UK investment in South Africa to help the nation’s economic development and industries, according to BBC southern Africa correspondent Pumza Fihlani.

The head of state is currently under fire for South Africa’s high unemployment rate and a recent uptick in power outages that affect homes, companies, and educational institutions nationwide nearly every day for many hours at a time.

Additionally, he stated this month that he would “stand aside” if accused with covering up a robbery at his private farm, which he denies.

The Earl of Wessex will accompany Mr. Ramaphosa to the Royal Botanic Gardens in south-west London on Wednesday.

After meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street, the South African president will head back to the palace to tell the King farewell.

We have ambitious ambitions to accelerate infrastructure investment and economic growth together, and South Africa is now the UK’s largest trading partner on the continent, according to Mr. Sunak.

“I am excited to welcome President Ramaphosa to London this week to explore how we can enhance our relationship and take advantage of possibilities that are available to us both, from commerce and tourism to security and defence.”

The president will also speak with Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer via phone and join the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at a Guildhall banquet.

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