Kate beams in green as she joins William, Charles and Camilla in hosting the Sultan of Oman on State Visit to the UK

The Prince and Princess of Wales were at the forefront of the pomp and pageantry this morning as the King and Queen welcomed the Sultan of Oman on a State Visit to the United Kingdom.

William and Catherine are in Windsor to greet the Omani ruler with Their Majesties at the start of a three-day official visit at the request of the British government focusing on trade, diplomacy, military and cultural ties.

In the drizzly autumnal weather, Charles, Camilla and Kate made their way up the steps to stand under the covered royal dais on Datchet Road.

The party were met with a royal salute from the waiting Sovereign’s Escort and the national anthem, played by a military band.

The King was dressed in top hat and tails, while Camilla wore a red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, hat by Philip Treacy and ruby and diamond flower brooch – with the colour seemingly a nod to the Omani flag. 

The King took off his top hat to greet the Sultan, giving him a wide smile as he shook his hand following the Omani ruler’s arrival.

Kate, wearing a green coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and a hat by Juliette Botterill, smiled and gave a deep curtsey as she also shook Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s hand in the royal line-up.

Formed in two lines in front of the royal dais was the Guard of Honour – around 100 guardsmen and officers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Storm Green.

He spoke in Arabic to ask the visiting head of state if he would inspect the servicemen on parade.

The King joined the senior officer and the Sultan as the foreign leader walked past the first rank of soldiers then the second line behind.

The Sultan was earlier greeted by Prince William on behalf of the monarch at one of his private UK residences, before travelling to Windsor together.

In a change to the traditional arrangements, Kate did not accompany William to greet the Sultan but instead waited alongside the King and Queen.

The planned adjustment was made because the Sultan is not being accompanied by his wife during his stay.

In the pouring rain the royals and their guests then stepped into the ornate coaches – without umbrellas.

The Sultan joined the King in the Irish State Coach for a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets of Windsor to the castle, ready to attend the ceremonial welcome in the quadrangle.

Charles was seen to pat down his hair as he sat in the carriage as the Household Cavalry readied their horses for the start of the short journey.

The Queen followed in the second carriage – the Scottish State Coach – accompanied by Oman’s deputy prime minister for defence affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were in the third carriage – the Australian State Coach – with the deputy prime minister for economic affairs Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said and secretary general of the diwan of the royal court Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said. 

Taking in Thames Street High Street, Park Street and the castle’s Cambridge Gate – with the route lined by an impressive display of all three Armed Forces – the procession entered through the George IV Gateway into the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

The Military Knights of Windsor will be in position at the Sovereign’s Entrance with a detachment of the Household Cavalry, along with the King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard.

A Guard of Honour, formed by the Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and F Company Scots Guards, with the Royal Standards of the Regiment and the Band of the Scots Guards, will be mounted in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

The Guard of Honour will give a royal salute and the regimental band will play the Omani and British National Anthems as the carriage procession arrives.

After a private lunch the royal party went to the castle’s Green Drawing Room where a display of items from the historic Royal Collection highlighting the warmth of UK/Omani relations over the centuries had been set out for the guests to examine.

The King and Queen escorted the sultan, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Charles showed off two of his own paintings to the Sultan – two landscape water colour paintings from his trip to Oman in 1995 – the first time he own artwork has been displayed as King.

Charles told the Sultan: ‘These are two of my paintings.’

The Sultan nodded and said ‘good’.

The princess later explained to guests that some of the paintings are by tour artists that the King takes on official tours.

Arriving at the King’s paintings, she said: ‘These are paintings by His Majesty. He is a very good water colourist himself.’

Other artefacts on display included an Abraham Parsons 1775 travel account of Muscat, tiara given by Oman to Queen Victoria for her 1838 Coronation, and 1647 gold medallion of Queen Elizabeth I given on 1982 State Visit.

In the evening, His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen and members of the Royal Family, will give a glittering State Banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan – the highlight of which will undoubtedly be the ladies’ gowns and tiaras.

The King and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik will deliver speeches at the beginning of the banquet.

The present Sultan acceded to the throne in 2020 following the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, becoming the 15th ruler of the Al Bu Said dynasty which has ruled Oman since the mid-18th century.

He has also been called ‘one of the most discreet billionaires alive’.

The Sultan is married with four children, although his wife is not accompanying him on this State Visit.

The ruling Omani family has enjoyed good relations with the British Royal Family and the Sultan has met the King and Queen on several occasions previously. Oman is considered one of Britain’s oldest friends in Arabia.

One of the Sultan’s main challenges is seen to be the need to oversee Oman’s transition from over-reliance on oil revenues to a diversified economy.