By Lucy Adautin
Buckingham Palace has announced that the Emir of Qatar will make a state visit to the UK, hosted by King Charles. On December 3, King Charles and Queen Camilla will welcome Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his first wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, to London.
The two-day visit will feature a ceremonial reception at Horse Guards Parade, followed by a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
This visit follows King Charles’ recent Commonwealth event at St James’s Palace, ahead of his trip to Samoa. The King has visited Qatar eight times as Prince of Wales and met the Emir at the Cop28 summit in Dubai last December.
Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Jawaher were also present at King Charles’ coronation and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Qatar, one of the wealthiest Gulf states, is a crucial mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict. During his stay, Sheikh Tamim is expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street.
Despite its influence, Qatar has faced criticism for human rights violations, particularly regarding migrant worker conditions during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the criminalization of same-sex relationships, and gender discrimination.
The Qatari royal family is among the richest globally, with their fortune reportedly in the billions.
Sheikh Tamim, 44, attended prestigious British schools like Sherborne and Harrow and graduated from Sandhurst military academy. He founded Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2005, which owns Paris Saint-Germain football club.
In 2022, controversy surrounded Charles, then Prince of Wales, when it was revealed that between 2011 and 2015, he had personally accepted €3 million in cash donations for his charity, the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, a former Qatari prime minister.
In a separate development, it was disclosed last week that King Charles’ doctors have allowed him to “pause” his cancer treatment so he can embark on a high-profile royal tour to Australia.
The 75-year-old monarch will begin the official visit on October 18, visiting Sydney and Canberra, followed by a state visit to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Sources indicate that King Charles will continue his cancer treatment up until his departure and will resume it upon his return to the UK. Diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after prostate surgery in February, he has been receiving weekly treatments since then.
