KING Charles hosted his first State visit since becoming British monarch on Tuesday, welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace.
Charles, 74, rolled out the traditional pomp and ceremony for the first time as head of State, as Britain seeks to bolster its relations with its biggest trading partner in Africa.
Ramaphosa and his wife were officially greeted by Charles’s eldest son and heir Prince William and his wife Kate at a central London hotel to mark the start of his two-day trip, the first state visit to the UK by a world leader since that of former US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania in 2019.
Gun salutes and a ceremonial welcome from the king and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, followed before a grand carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where a banquet will be held later in the president’s honour.
Ramaphosa is scheduled
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