Gifts and displays from the Emperor of Japan during his visit to Buckingham Palace

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Queen Masako visited Buckingham Palace and were received by King Charles and Queen Camilla.

At the beginning of a state visit to Britain, the Japanese royal family presented symbolic gifts – a black lacquer box for the king, a brocade handbag for the queen, and a framed photo of the emperor and empress.

The visit began on Tuesday morning with a grand welcome ceremony at Horse Guards Parade Ground.

Under the blazing sunshine, Japanese tourists were able to watch the honor guard.

The 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards, clad in stuffy bearskins, lined up on the gravel ground of the parade ground.

Prince William met the Emperor and Queen earlier in the morning at their hotel while Buckingham Palace was still undergoing repairs.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Home Secretary James Cleverley, wearing morning clothes, also attended the official welcome ceremony, one of the last ceremonial events before the election. .

The public stayed away from the Horse Guards during this formal diplomatic moment. Instead, rows of cameras and reporters watched the VIPs arrive, while security officers looked on from the roof of Whitehall.

Carriages then carried the royal visitors through the crowds in the square to Buckingham Palace.

The queen shared a carriage with the queen, who wore a mask as a precaution due to her allergy to horse hair.

The eldest princess was absent from this visit. After admission The head injury is believed to have been caused by the horse.

At Buckingham Palace, the Emperor and Empress visited the Royal Collection of Japanese objects.

These include an 1855 scroll from the Queen Victoria Library depicting the coronation of Emperor Gomizuo in 17th-century Japan.

The Emperor’s gift of lacquerware to King Charles is a reference to this year’s Noto Peninsula earthquake, and the lacquerware is a traditional product of Wajima City, which was affected by the earthquake.

State visits are a combination of ancient ceremonies and modern international politics, with the red carpet rolled out for important visitors.

The visit by the Emperor and Empress is aimed at strengthening military, scientific and cultural ties between Britain and Japan.

This is the first speech by a Japanese head of state since 1998.

A state visit during an election is unusual. In the past, these events have been rescheduled to avoid conflicting with political campaigns.

The Japanese royal couple’s schedule continued, but they did not go to Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister as usual.

The centerpiece of this diplomatic adulation is a state banquet, which will be held on Tuesday evening in the lavish surroundings of the Buckingham Palace ballroom, where the king will address guests.

Chancellor Sunak and Labor leader Keir Starmer will attend the state dinner, just the night before the two party leaders attend the event face-to-face television debate.

The Emperor and Queen’s planned visit in the coming days will include Westminster Abbey, Francis Crick College, Kew Gardens and the Royal Academy of Music.

They will lay a wreath at the tomb of Elizabeth II in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

On Friday, after the state visit, they will make a nostalgic return to Oxford University, where they once attended.