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Charles, Camilla, William and Kate at ceremonial welcome for South Africa state visit© Getty

Prince William and Princess Kate's major role at South Korean state visit revealed

The King and Queen will host President Yoon at Buckingham Palace

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
November 18, 2023
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The King and Queen will host the President of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Yoon Suk Yeol, and his wife, the First Lady, Mrs Kim Keon Hee, during a state visit next week.

Expect a great deal of pomp and ceremony, with a Guard of Honour and a state banquet included in the itinerary – and that means tiaras for the royal ladies!

Ahead of the state visit, Charles spent time learning about K-pop music and Korean culture and cuisine as he visited New Malden in south west London earlier this month.

New Malden is home to one of the largest Korean communities in Europe.

Find out what the royals will be up to during the state visit taking place from 21 to 23 November, and discover why state visits are so important in the video below…

WATCH: Why are state visits important for the royal family?

Tuesday 21 November

The Prince and Princess of Wales will formally greet President Yoon and the First Lady at their hotel on behalf of the King on Tuesday.

William and Kate smile at each other as they arrive at St Davids Cathedral© Getty
William and Kate will greet the President and First Lady ahead of the ceremonial welcome

Prince William and Kate will travel with the President and his wife to Horse Guards Parade, where they will receive a ceremonial welcome.

The King and Queen will then formally welcome the President on Horse Guards Parade, where Charles and Mr Yoon will inspect the Guard of Honour, found by F Company Scots Guards.

US President Joe Biden inspects a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle© Getty
State visits traditionally include the inspection of a Guard of Honour - US President Joe Biden pictured in 2021

After the ceremonial welcome, the President and the First Lady will join the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in a carriage procession, travelling along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the party will be met by a second Guard of Honour found by 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Following a private lunch at the palace, the King, Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim will view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to the Republic of Korea.

The President and the First Lady will be joined by the Duke of Gloucester for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.

South Africa state banquet© Getty
The royals at the South African state banquet in November 2022

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim will visit Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster before the glittering state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

The King and Queen will host the white-tie dinner in the Ballroom at the palace, where they will be joined by senior members of the royal family – likely to include the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The dress code calls for evening gowns and tiaras for the ladies and tuxedos for the men, with royal orders on display.  

Wednesday 22 November

The President will have a number of meetings, including with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the leader of the Labour party, Sir Keir Starmer.

The Duchess of Edinburgh will accompany Mr Yoon for a roundtable discussion at the Royal Society.

Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh attends reception at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Canada - 07 Nov 2023© Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Sophie will join the President for an engagement at the Royal Society

The President and the First Lady will then be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at a banquet at the Guildhall hosted by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation.

Thursday 23 November

On the final day of the state visit, the President will visit the Churchill War Rooms before returning to Buckingham Palace to bid farewell to the King.

LISTEN: Inside Prince William's sweet proposal to Kate in Kenya

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