“Reigning in Windsor”: King Charles and Queen Camilla host state banquet

The British royal family pulled out all the stops for a historic state banquet at Windsor Castle, celebrating the close friendship and centuries-old bilateral ties between Oman and the United Kingdom. 

It was a night to remember on Tuesday as the British royal family hosted Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and the Omani delegation visiting the UK as guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The King and Queen welcomed the Sultan in the morning, then viewed an exhibition on Oman from the Royal Collection.

In the afternoon, the Omani delegation was offered a look at one of the world’s greatest art collections, which contains over a million objects spanning the past 500 years. A few items on display, which drew much attention, was a gold ruby- and diamond-encrusted tiara sent by Sayyid Sa’id, Sultan of the Omani Empire (r.1806–1856), to Queen Victoria in 1838 as a Coronation gift as well as Simon van de Passe’s (d.1647), gold portrait medallion of Elizabeth I in ‘Armada dress’, c.1616, that was presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id during his 1982 State Visit to the UK.

In the evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla viewed St George’s Hall as preparations finished along the 50m-long table, laden with the Grand Service commissioned by George IV, ready for 160 guests. Seasonal flowers from the Gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park for the occasion.

Official photos were taken just before the Sultan joined the King and Queen in procession through the Waterloo Chamber. The King and Queen were accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Among others, the Sultan was accompanied by Crown Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham and Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs.

The procession entered the ornately decorated St George’s Hall as ‘God Save the King’ was performed by the band. King Charles spoke of his “dear and old friends” who have been allies of the British “a millennium before there was even a United Kingdom.”

In the Treaty we signed in 1800, our predecessors hoped that the friendship between our two states would remain “unshook till the end of time”. It was an ambitious promise but, more than two hundred years later, it has proved to be a promise fulfilled by the living connections between Britain and Oman, embodied in the generations of relationships that have forged an unshakable friendship between us.

Your Majesty, I hope this State Visit shows the importance the United Kingdom attaches to Oman, to its Monarchy and institutions, and to our friendship with you personally.

May I perhaps convey upon you the blessing written by the great Omani poet Shaykh al-Baiyaan, [May you live in fulfilment, sustained by blessings without end from your Lord, the Giver]. — King Charles III’s Speech (excerpt)

Sultan Haithim, in return, referred to his time in the United Kingdom, picking up a small habit: “As a young man, I became familiar with that punctual national habit well known as English time.”

After formalities, guests were treated to a sumptuous menu that included Tartine au Crabe et Langoustine d’Ecosse, Croute of Scottish Langoustine and Cornish Crab with Avocado, Tomato consommé, and Celery, Sauce à la Moutarde de Dijon, Pot Roasted Windsor Pheasant with Spiced Quince, Stuffed Cabbage and Braised Fondant Potatoes in a Dijon Mustard Sauce. Desserts include an Individual Baked Alaska with Balmoral Plum and Windsor Estate Honey Ice Cream.

Buckingham Palace also released the usual post-drink cocktail; however, since the Sultan and the visiting delegation are Muslim, a new drink has been inspired by the Omani ritual of Kahwa seen through a distinctly British lens. Inspired by Kahwa, traditionally shared with dates as a gesture of hospitality and friendship, the team at Windsor Castle adapted the concept, drawing on the long-standing love of tea while preserving the aromatic spices and flavours that make Kahwa so distinctive: fragrant cardamom, delicate rose, sweet dates, and gentle warming spices. These notes were woven together with British teas and Windsor honey. Guests could choose from an Iced Earl Grey & Date, an Iced Mint & Rose, or a Warm Cardamom-Spiced Blend sweetened with Windsor Honey.