South Korean state visit: Prince William and Kate Middleton join King Charles and Queen Camilla at ceremonial welcome | HELLO! (2024)

The Prince and Princess of Wales met President Yoon Suk Yeol and the First Lady at their hotel in London on Tuesday morning as part of the South Korea state visit.

For the special occasion, Prince William, 41, looked smart in a dark navy suit and a red silk tie while Princess Kate, 41, wore a scarlet cape dress crafted by Catherine Walker and a matching hat designed by Jane Taylor.

She wore her glossy brunette tresses in a chic chignon and finished off her look with a sweep of radiant makeup and a pair of dazzling diamond and sapphire earrings.

As for accessories, the mother-of-three elevated her outfit with a pair of pointed red heels and a sleek red clutch complete with a small bow to match her vibrant cape dress.

The Prince and Princess travellled with the President and the First Lady toHorse Guards Parade where they were formally welcomed by the King and Queen during a ceremony.

Ahead of their arrival, Charles and Camilla took their place standing on the royal pavilion and briefly greeted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, Home Secretary James Cleverly and the defence chiefs of staff.

Their Majesties were also joined by Senior Staff from the Household Division led by Major General James Bowder.

Exuding sophistication, Queen Camilla made a statement in a navy blue midi dress which she teamed with a coordinating navy coat, both crafted by Anna Valentine.

On her head meanwhile, Her Majesty donned a spectacular feathered hat designed by master milliner, Philip Treacy, whilst on her lapel, the mother-of-two added a touch of sparkle with a magnificent brooch which previously belonged to Queen Mary.

During the ceremony, presentations were made, the Guard of Honour gave a royal salute and the Republic of Korea's national anthem was played.

The King and President Yoon later inspected the Guard of Honour, formed by F Company Scots Guards. During the inspection, President Yoon walked past two ranks of Guardsman before returning to the royal pavilion.

Members of the Scots Guards were recently deployed to South Korea where they were training troops.

The royal party and their guests then headed back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession travelling down The Mall.

The King travelled with the Korean president in the Irish state coach while Queen Camilla and the First Lady rode in the Australian State Coach.

Following behind were William and Kate with Choo Kyungho, deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance, in the Scottish State Coach.

Upon arrival at Buckingham Palace, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate and their guests were greeted by a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

After a private lunch, President Yoon and his wife viewed a special exhibition in the palace's Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to the Republic of Korea.

One of the items marked the first evidence of diplomatic relations - a letter sent from King Gojong to Queen Victoria to mark a treaty of friendship and commerce in 1883.

Stella Panayotova, Royal Librarian said:"I chose them because these are the earliest items available we have in the collection from the Kate 19th century when diplomatic relations began."

William and Kate joined the entourage to view an exhibition of Royal Collection artefacts celebrating the UK’s ties with South Korea, where the princess was heard to smile and remark "and karaoke" to deputy prime minister Choo Kyung-ho and the minister of foreign affairs Park Jin.

The 62-year-old President is a known fan of karaoke and in April belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden during a state visit to the US.

William said: “I’ll put it in the diary” as he was shown gifts given to his late grandmother Elizabeth II when she became the first British monarch to make a state visit to Korea in 1999.

President Yoon and Mrs Kim were then joined by the Duke of Gloucester for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial to mark the 70^th anniversary of the end of the war.

Afterwards, the President and the First Lady will travel to the Palace of Westminster, where they were welcomed by the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker. The President delivered an address in the Royal Gallery to members of both Houses of Parliament and other guests.

On Tuesday evening, the royal family turned out for a glittering state banquet at Buckingham Palace, where Queen Camilla and Princess Kate debuted new tiaras from the royal vaults.

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