The upcoming Royal State Visit has been altered for the Nigerian President, who is observing Ramadan, as the traditional Windsor lunch has been removed from the programme.
King Charles will welcome the first Muslim head of state during Ramadan to the UK in approximately a century.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady will travel to Windsor Castle on Wednesday, March 18.
The two-day visit coincides with the final days of the holy month, during which observant Muslims abstain from food and drink between dawn and dusk.
State Visit altered for Nigerian President observing Ramadan as Windsor lunch removed
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Organisers have specially modified the programme to accommodate these religious requirements, meaning the customary welcome lunch at the castle has been removed from proceedings.
Instead, the King will receive President Tinubu for an afternoon audience at Windsor Castle.
Following sunset on Wednesday, the Nigerian leader will break his fast privately before attending the evening’s state banquet alongside the monarch and Queen Camilla.
The visit concludes on Thursday evening, which marks the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic celebration signalling Ramadan’s end.
The last comparable occasion occurred in 1928, when King George V hosted Afghanistan’s King Amanullah Khan during the fasting period, though no records confirm whether the Afghan monarch observed Ramadan.
King Charles shaking hands with the President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024
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PAThames Valley Police has confirmed that extensive security measures will be implemented across the Berkshire town, with the occasion unfolding against the backdrop of the deepening Middle East crisis.
Nigeria continues to grapple with severe security challenges, facing persistent attacks from jihadist groups and armed gangs.
The arrival of the presidential couple will proceed as planned despite devastating suicide attacks in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state on Monday that claimed 23 lives and left more than 100 wounded.
President Tinubu denounced the “evil-minded” terror groups responsible and declared that “Nigeria will not succumb to fear” whilst mourning those killed in the atrocity.
Monday’s bombings struck a busy market and a teaching hospital in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, where Boko Haram militants have long conducted their insurgency.
The extremist group achieved global infamy in 2014 after kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok village.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Oluremi Tinubu will travel to the UK as the guests of King Charles and Queen Camilla | GETTY
Recent months have seen further abductions, including suspected Islamist militants seizing over 100 women and children in Ngoshe earlier this month, and Boko Haram fighters taking approximately 200 pupils and staff from a Catholic boarding school in November.
Parliament’s all-party group for international freedom of religion or belief has urged ministers to press President Tinubu on human rights matters.
The chairman of the parliamentary group, DUP MP Jim Shannon, stated that Nigeria must “take concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted”, according to the Telegraph.
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, herself a Christian and ordained Pentecostal pastor, has spoken of experiencing criticism and threats because of her faith and her marriage.
Wednesday’s occasion marks the first Nigerian state visit to Britain in 37 years, following Queen Elizabeth II’s reception of military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida in 1989.
The visit aims to bolster the UK’s standing as a global centre for African commerce, with the Department for Business and Trade announcing that Nigerian firms are creating hundreds of British jobs.
Zenith Bank, among Nigeria’s largest financial institutions, opens its Manchester branch today with 30 positions, whilst London-headquartered fintech company LemFi plans to invest £100 million over five years.
The presidential couple are scheduled to touch down at Stansted Airport this afternoon, where the deputy lieutenant of Essex, Mark Bevan, will greet them on the monarch’s behalf.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a prominent role in Wednesday’s ceremonial proceedings, meeting President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu at the Fairmont Windsor Park luxury spa hotel that morning.
William and Catherine will then accompany the Nigerian couple to the town centre for their formal introduction to the King and Queen.
A traditional carriage procession will transport the six royals and dignitaries through Windsor’s streets in a display of ceremonial grandeur, culminating at the castle’s quadrangle where a Guard of Honour awaits.
The day’s festivities will reach their peak with a lavish banquet in St George’s Hall, where the monarch and Queen Camilla will host their guests in the castle’s magnificent setting, with the Prince and Princess of Wales among those in attendance.