London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2025

King Charles welcomes South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa at start of state visit

King Charles welcomes South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa at start of state visit

The King has welcomed South Africa's president at the start of the first state visit he is hosting as monarch.

King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, formally greeted Cyril Ramaphosa at Horse Guards Parade in London as the two-day trip began.

The president visited Westminster Abbey and is attending a banquet hosted by the King at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Ramaphosa's visit comes as South Africa struggles to tackle continuing power blackouts and high unemployment.

It is the first state for more than three years after they were stopped during the Covid pandemic.

The King is hosting a white-tie banquet at Buckingham Palace for Mr Ramaphosa on Tuesday evening where both men will give speeches.

The banquet is a key moment in the ritual of a state visit, with food and toasts in a splendid setting, with staff in tails ferrying food to tables that have taken five days to get ready.

It is where the vision of monarchy meets the realpolitik of trade and international relations.

For the visit of the South African president, the menu is grilled brill for a starter, a ballotine of pheasant for the main course and vanilla parfait with caramelised apples for a pudding.

This is being washed down with French and English wines.

The Prince and Princess of Wales met the South African president at his London hotel on Tuesday morning before escorting him to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremonial welcome with the King.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, along with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, were also at Horse Guards, where the president and King inspected soldiers from the Coldstream Guards.

More than 1,000 soldiers and 230 horses lined up on the parade ground in central London as part of the traditional opening of a state visit.

His Majesty then rode down the Mall with Mr Ramaphosa in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace.

After lunch at the palace the King showed Mr Ramaphosa a selection of photographs featuring the Royal Family's connections with South Africa, including a 1996 picture of the former South African president and anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela at a Buckingham Palace state banquet.

Among the items was a copy of a speech the late Queen gave in Cape Town on her 21st birthday in 1947 where she pledged to dedicate her "whole life whether it be long or short" to service of the Commonwealth.


The president and King inspected Foot Guards from Number 7 Company The Coldstream Guards

Mr Ramaphosa spotted a photograph in the Royal Collection of the late Queen with Nelson Mandela

Mr Ramaphosa gave a speech at the Houses of Parliament attended by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle

Mr Ramaphosa, who has been head of government in South Africa since 2018, followed the tradition of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, and addressed MPs and peers in the Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster.

BBC southern Africa correspondent Pumza Fihlani says the president is hoping to use the state visit to drum up support for UK investment in South Africa to bolster the country's economic development and industries.

But his visit comes at a time when Mr Ramaphosa is facing criticism over South African unemployment levels and a return to power outages affecting households, businesses and schools across the country - almost every day for a number of hours at a time.

This month he also said he would "step aside" if charged over an alleged cover-up of a robbery at his private farm, which he denies.

On the day the state visit in London began, Mr Ramaphosa received the backing of a majority of his African National Congress' 4,000 branches nationwide ahead of his party's leadership conference next month.

South Africa's First Lady, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, is reportedly recovering from eye surgery and was advised not to travel to London.
Mr Ramaphosa laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey


In a joint address to members of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Ramaphosa called for improved trade and investment links between the UK and South Africa to help his nation deal with its issues with power cuts.

He also said he would urge Mr Sunak to agree a three-fold increase in the number of South African university students coming to study for doctorates in the UK when they have lunch at No 10 on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Earl of Wessex will escort Mr Ramaphosa to the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew in south-west London.

The South African leader will then visit Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, before returning to the palace to bid farewell to the King.

The president is also set to receive a call from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and attend a Guildhall banquet with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European Union Proposes Reforms to 1951 Refugee Convention
China's humanoid robots poised to transform everyday living and spiritual functions.
Changes in US tariffs on Chinese products could affect consumers more significantly than they do China.
How Innovations in China's Humanoid Robots Ignite Fierce Competition with the US
Germany Experiences 34% Decrease in Asylum Applications During Migration Discussion
Experts Challenge Conviction of UK Nurse Lucy Letby for Baby Killings
AfD Chief Alice Weidel Enhances Global Standing Through Meeting with Viktor Orban
Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party Leads Poll Amid Growing Public Demand for Change
Conor Murphy Steps Down as Northern Ireland Economy Minister to Join Irish Parliament
Over 1 Million Face Penalties After Missing HMRC Self-Assessment Tax Deadline
Scottish Government Denies Plans to Ban Cat Ownership Amid Controversy
Bridget Phillipson Urges Parents to Prioritize School Attendance Amid Rising Absence Rates
Keir Starmer Advocates for Stronger UK-EU Security Partnership in Brussels
Six English Councils Granted Permission to Raise Council Tax Bills Above Cap Amid Financial Struggles
Keir Starmer Faces Growing Backlash Over Potential Approval of Rosebank Oilfield
AI Consciousness Raises Ethical Concerns, Say Experts
Families Urge NHS England to Release Full Report on Nottingham Triple Homicide
NHS Initiates Largest AI Trial for Breast Cancer Detection
UK Tightens Regulations on Online Sales of Weight-Loss Injections
Gambling Ads Shown to Parents on Baby Monitor App, Raising Concerns
Ancient Irish Rainforests at Risk Due to the Growth of Monoculture Plantations
EU Leaders Deliberate on Defense Strategy Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
EU Leaders Convene Important Summit on Defense in Response to Rising Tensions
Trump Directs Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Considers TikTok Purchase
Britain Considers U.S. Gas Imports in Response to Possible Trump Tariffs
French Prime Minister Bayrou Confronts Several No-Confidence Votes Regarding the 2025 Budget
Shutdown of USAID Headquarters in Light of U.S. Government Reduction Initiatives
President Trump Launches Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund with Possible TikTok Purchase
Investigation Launched Following Viral Video of Bodybuilder's Airport Prank
Cooling Blankets: A Remedy for Those Who Sleep Hot or Just a Marketing Ploy?
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Trump Seeks Rare Minerals from Ukraine in Exchange for U.S. Support
EU Leaders Reach Consensus to Increase Defence Expenditure in Response to Growing Security Threats
UK Business Confidence Declines Amid Economic Uncertainty, Lloyds Survey Shows
Abhishek Sharma's Century Secures India a 4-1 T20 Series Win Over England
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks at Chequers.
Australian soccer sensation Sam Kerr confronts a racial abuse trial in London.
Lloyds and Barclays Bank Customers Experience Service Outages
Thames Water Seeks Court Approval for £3 Billion Rescue Plan Amid Crisis
UK Manufacturing Activity Contracts for Fourth Consecutive Month in January, PMI Shows
Ex-British Soldier Receives Sentence for Espionage on Behalf of Iran and Fleeing Custody
Emergency Crews Deployed on Santorini as Earthquake Swarm Raises Concerns
Wall Street Journal Criticizes Trump's Trade War with Canada and Mexico
Trump Freezes Tariffs on Mexico After Agreement on Border Security
Nearly 96% of New Cars Registered in Norway in January Were Electric
One Dead, Thousands Evacuated as Floods Hit North Queensland
Bart De Wever Appointed Belgium's New Prime Minister
Apple Abandons AR Glasses Project Amid Struggles with Technology and Market Demand
US Man Receives Photo Instead of Drill After Placing Order on Chinese Website
U.S. Clinical Trial Investigates Medication to Prolong Dogs' Lifespan
×