Windsor was draped in the vibrant green and white of the Nigerian flag as The King and Queen formally welcomed the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu.
This state visit is the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, with President Tinubu also the first Nigerian leader to be hosted by the British Monarch at Windsor Castle, whilst refurbishments continue at Buckingham Palace.
The official ceremonial events began on Wednesday morning at the Fairmont Hotel Windsor, where the Prince and Princess of Wales greeted President Tinubu and the First Lady on behalf of His Majesty. From there, Their Royal Highnesses travelled alongside their guests to Datchet Road in Windsor.
Catherine’s outfit consisted of a dress coat by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, whom King Charles only met a few weeks ago at London Fashion Week.
At the royal dais, The King and Queen officially received the Nigerian President and First Lady. As presentations were made, the air reverberated with the sound of a royal salute fired across the Home Park in Windsor and simultaneously at the Tower of London.
Following a salute from the Sovereign’s Escort and the playing of the Nigerian National Anthem, the two Heads of State, accompanied by their spouses and the Wales’, embarked on a carriage procession up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle.
Camilla wore a pink dress coat from one of her favourite labels, Fiona Clare.
The King and President travelled together in the Australian State Coach, followed by The Queen and First Lady in the Scottish State Coach, which was followed by the Irish State Coach carrying The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Honourable Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General and Honourable Minister for Justice Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Upon entering the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, the carriage procession was met by a display of military precision. A Guard of Honour, provided by the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, stood in wait alongside the royal standard of the regiment, the Corps of Drums, and the Regimental Band.
Following a second royal salute and the playing of both the Nigerian and British National Anthems, President Tinubu and the King stepped forward to inspect the Guard of Honour. The morning’s pageantry concluded with a spectacular march past viewed from the dais, featuring the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Sovereign’s Escort, and the Guard of Honour.
As the afternoon approached, the focus shifted from public pageantry to cultural and diplomatic ties. There was no traditional lunch with the King at Windsor for the visit as the President is a Muslim and fasting for Ramadan.
The King and Queen invited the President and First Lady into the Green Drawing Room for a curated exhibition of items from the Royal Collection, highlighting the deep historical connections between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Items in the exhibition included a tiny manuscript written by Sir Ben Okri, Nigerian-born British poet, novelist and playwright who was the first black writer to win the Booker Prize. He penned the manuscript for the Miniature Library at Windsor Castle to mark the centenary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Additional items included a photograph of a three-quarter length portrait of Sarah [Sally] Forbes Bonetta and a Yoruba Throne and Foot Cushion.
Following the exhibition, The King hosted President Tinubu for a private audience. The two leaders, later joined by the First Lady, then made their way to Vicars’ Hall. In a meeting reflecting both nations’ commitment to unity and understanding, they sat down with representatives from various organisations dedicated to fostering national and international interfaith dialogue.
The exchanging of gifts – a key staple of a State Visit – also took place. The King presented the Nigerian President with a large ‘Peacock’ plate, hand-crafted pottery from The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts programme at the Al-Foustat Ceramics Centre in Cairo. President Tinubu in turn gifted His Majesty an Eyo statuette commemorating the Eyo festival, also known as Adamu Orisha Play.
The Queen had a special gift in place for the First Lady – a silver and enamel bowl made by Northern Irish silversmith, Cara Murphy, in a bespoke box. The First Lady then presented Camilla with a ‘Matriarchs of Nigeria’ jewellery box, featuring the faces of important Nigerian women.
Charles and Camilla then presented the couple with a joint gift – an arch-topped silver photograph frame engraved with Their Majesties’ joint cypher, enclosing a signed photograph of The King and Queen.
Before the evening’s formal festivities could begin, the first day of the State Visit concluded with President Tinubu and Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu paying a private visit to St George’s Chapel, where they laid a wreath of flowers on the tomb of Elizabeth II.
