The King has welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan to Windsor with display of traditional pomp and pageantry. Their Majesties stood on the dais in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, where a Guard of Honour was formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, supported by the Regimental Band.
King Charles had emerged from the Sovereign's entrance shortly after arriving at the Castle from Buckingham Palace, standing alone as the national anthem was played.
King Abdullah, who was slightly delayed by traffic, was driven down the Long Walk and through the George IV gate before joining the monarch on the platform for a royal salute and the playing of Jordan's national anthem.
Major Edward Emlyn-Williams, Captain of the Guard then approached the dais and spoke in Arabic to ask King Abdullah to inspect the two ranks of soldiers lined up on the lawn, wearing the great coats of the regiment's winter order and their bearskins.
The visiting monarch then began to inspect the Guard, accompanied by the King, before returning to the dais to watch them march past. Charles and Abdullah appeared to be getting on famously as they stopped to speak to officials and went into the castle to catch up over tea.
The Jordanian King celebrates his silver jubilee this year and King Charles presented him with a gift of a silver beaker engraved with his and Queen Camilla's cyphers to mark the anniversary.
The two monarchs know each other well, with Charles having made five visits to Jordan since 1965. King Abdullah last visited him at Buckingham Palace in 2022 and they have spoken via telephone as recently as February 2024 and October 2023.
A close bond
The British royal family have a close relationship with their Jordanian counterparts. The last official visit by King Abdullah was in 2022, while Queen Camilla hosted Queen Rania at a reception raising awareness about violence towards women and girls in the same year.
The Jordanian royal couple also attended the coronation of the King and Queen in 2023.
Princess Kate and Prince William's special visit
The most recent visit by The Firm to Jordan was in 2023, when Prince William and Princess Kate attended the star-studded royal wedding of Jordan's Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Al Hussein wed Saudi Arabian architect Rajwa Al Saif at the Zahran Palace in Amman. It was a glamorous affair and the Prince and Princess of Wales dressed up for the occasion, with Princess Kate wearing a pale pink gown with billowing sleeves.
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were also in attendance.
Princely friendship
Both Prince William and Crown Prince Al Hussein graduated from the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst.
As well as their shared military experience, the Princes have a shared love of football, being pictured watching the 2018 England vs Panama World Cup game together on the sofa at the Beit Al Urdun Palace.
A family holiday
While the Prince of Wales and Crown Prince Al Hussein bonded during Prince William's 2018 visit to Jordan, he revealed how Princess Kate had reacted to his trip, having spent three years in the country as a child. He said: "She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her."
This was remedied a few years later, when the Wales family visited Jordan for a holiday in 2021.