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The Queen greets President Roh Moo-Hyun of South Korea on Horse Guards Parade in December 2004
© Press Association

Watch a video clip of a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace.

STATE VISITS

State visits are formal visits to the UK by Heads of State from overseas, with the aim of strengthening Britain’s relationships with other countries.

There are usually two incoming State visits each year. Invitations are sent on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
 
The Queen acts as host to the visiting Head of State, who stays either at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or, occasionally, The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Visits normally begin with a ceremonial welcome attended by The Queen and other senior members of the Royal Family. If the guest is staying at Buckingham Palace, the welcome takes place on Horse Guards Parade.

After inspecting a guard of honour, the visiting President or monarch then travels with The Queen in a carriage back to Buckingham Palace.

On the evening of the arrival day, the Head of State will attend a banquet in his or her honour.

Before leaving, he or she will occasionally host a banquet or other return hospitality at an alternative location.
 
During the visit, the Head of State will meet the British Prime Minister, Government ministers, and leaders of the main political parties, as well as meeting the heads of diplomatic missions in London.

The visiting Head of State will also attend a dinner hosted by the City of London, when he or she will meet leaders of commerce and industry.

When Heads of State visit Britain less formally, they are nearly always received in audience by The Queen.

The following is a list of incoming State visits to the UK since 1952:

The next State visit will be confirmed in due course.

Members of the public can watch the ceremonial carriage procession from Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace from viewpoints along the Mall.

28 June – 1 July 1954 King Gustaf VI and Queen Louise of Sweden
14-16 October 1954 Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
25-28 October 1955 President and Madame Craveiro Lopes of Portugal
16-19 July 1956 King Feisal of Iraq
13-16 May 1958 President and Signora Gronchi of Italy
21-23 October 1958 President Heuss of Germany
5-8 May 1959 The Shahanshah of Iran
5-8 April 1960 President and Madame de Gaulle of France
19-21 July 1960 King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand
17-20 October 1960 King Mahendra and Queen Ratna of Nepal
10-13 July 1962 President and Mrs. Tubman of Liberia
16-19 October 1962 King Olav V of Norway
14-17 May 1963 King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium
12-23 June 1963 President Radhakrishnan of India (a Commonwealth visit) 
9-12 July 1963 King Paul I and Queen Frederika of Greece
26 May – 4 June 1964 President Ferik Ibrahim Abbood of Sudan
13-17 July 1965 President and Señora de Frei of Chile
17-21 May 1966 President and Frau Jonas of Austria
19-28 July 1966 King Hussein and The Princess Muna al Hussein of Jordan
17-25 November 1966 President Ayub Khan of Pakistan (a Commonwealth visit)
9-17 May 1967 King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
1-8 November 1967 President and Madame Cevdet Sunay of Turkey
22-30 April 1969 President Saragat and Signora Santacatterina of Italy
15-20 July 1969 President and Madame Kekkonen of Finland
5-8 October 1971 Emperor Hirohito and the Empress of Japan
7-10 December 1971 King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan
11-15 April 1972 Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
13-16 June 1972 The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
24-27 October 1972 President and Frau Heinemann of Germany
3-6 April 1973 President and Señora de Echeverria of Mexico
12-15 June 1973 General and Mrs. Gowon of Nigeria
11-14 December 1973 President and Madame Mobutu of Zaire
30 April – 3 May 1974 Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark
9-12 July 1974 Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri of Malaysia
8-11 July 1975 King Carl Gustaf of Sweden
18-21 November 1975 President Nyerere of Tanzania
4-7 May 1976 President and Senhora Geisel of Brazil
22-25 June 1976 President and Madame Valery Giscard d’Estaing of France
13-16 June 1978 President and Madame Ceausescu of Romania
14-17 November 1978 President and Senhora Eanes of Portugal
12-15 June 1979 President Arap Moi of Kenya
13-16 November 1979 President and Madame Soeharto of Indonesia
18-21 November 1980 King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya of Nepal
17-20 March 1981 President Shagari of Nigeria
9-12 June 1981 King Khaled of Saudi Arabia
16-19 March 1982 HM Qaboos Bin Al Said, Sultan of Oman
16-19 November 1982 Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
22-25 March 1983 President and Mrs. Kaunda of Zambia
10-13 April 1984 His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa of Bahrain
23-26 October 1984 President and Madame François Mitterrand of France
16-19 April 1985 President Banda of Malawi
11-14 June 1985 President and Señora de la Madrid of Mexico
12-15 November 1985 His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar
22-25 April 1986 King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
1-4 July 1986 President and Freifrau von Weizsacker of Germany
24-27 March 1987 King Fahd of Saudi Arabia
14-17 July 1987 King Hassan II of Morocco
12-15 April 1988 King Olav V of Norway
12-15 July 1988 President Evren of Turkey
8-11 November 1988 President and Madame Diouf of Senegal
9-12 May 1989 President and Mrs. Babangida of Nigeria
18-21 July 1989 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of United Arab Emirates
3-6 April 1990 President and Shrimali Venkataraman of India
23-26 October 1990 President Cossiga of Italy
23-26 April 1991 President and Mrs. Walesa of Poland
23-26 July 1991 President and Mrs. Mubarak of Egypt
3-6 November 1992 The Sultan of Brunei and The Raja Isteri
27-30 April 1993 President and Senhora Soares of Portugal
9-12 November 1993 The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and The Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
17-20 May 1994 President Mugabe of Zimbabwe
5-8 July 1994 King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway
23-26 May 1995 Shaikh Jabir al Ahmed Jabir al Sabah (The Amir) of Kuwait
17-20 October 1995 President and Madame Ahtisaari of Finland
14-17 May 1996 President and Madame Chirac of France
9-12 July 1996 President Mandela of South Africa
25-28 February 1997 President and Mrs. Weizman of Israel
2-5 December 1997 President and Senhora Cardoso of Brazil
26-29 May 1998 Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan
1-4 December 1998 President and Frau Herzog of Germany
22-25 June 1999 President and Mrs. Goncz of Hungary
19-22 October 1999 President and Madame Wang Yeping of China
16-18 February 2000 Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark
12-15 June 2001 President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa
6-9 November 2001 King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan
24-27 June 2003 President Putin and Mrs. Putina of the Russian Federation
18-21 November 2003 President and Mrs. Bush of the United States of America
5-7 May 2004 President and Mrs. Kwasniewska of Poland
18-19 November 2004
(Official Visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale)		 President and Madame Chirac of France
1-3 December 2004 President and Mrs. Roh Moo-Hyun of South Korea
15-17 March 2005 The President of the Italian Republic and Signora Ciampi
25-27 October 2005 King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway (Official visit)
8-10 November 2005 The President of the People’s Republic of China and Madame Liu Yongqing
7-9 March 2006 The President of the Federative Republic of Brazil and Senhora Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva
13-15 March 2007 The President of the Republic of Ghana and Mrs Kufuor



The Queen
A biography of the Head of State

Outgoing State visits 
Overseas tours during The Queen’s
reign

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