The King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales have welcomed the Sultan of Oman to a rainy Windsor for his state visit to the UK.
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said was greeted by the monarch in the open air outside Windsor and Eton Riverside station amid autumn downpours.
The King took off his top hat to greet the Sultan, giving him a wide smile as he shook his hand, while Kate performed a deep curtsey as they stood under the covered dais.
In the pouring rain, without turning to the use of umbrellas, the royals and their guests stepped into the ornate horse drawn enclosed carriages for the procession through the streets of Windsor to the castle, ready to attend the ceremonial welcome in the quadrangle.
The Oxford-educated Sultan joined the King in the Irish State Coach where they chatted as they sat side by side.
Charles was seen to pat down his own hair after his brief exposure to the drizzle.
The Queen followed in the second carriage – the Scottish State Coach – accompanied by Oman’s deputy prime minister for defence affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said.
William and Kate were in the third carriage – the Australian State Coach – with the deputy prime minister for economic affairs Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said and secretary general of the diwan of the royal court Sayyid Loay bin Ghalib Al Said.
Camilla was dressed in a vivid red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, hat by Philip Treacy and ruby and diamond flower brooch – with the colour seemingly a nod to the Omani flag, as was Kate’s dark green Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen coat and Juliette Botterill hat.
William had earlier travelled solo on behalf of the King to greet Oman’s ruler at one of his residences in the UK.
Kate arrived at the royal dais together with the King and Queen – in a change to the usual arrangements because the Sultan is not being accompanied by his wife during his stay.
Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s state visit is the first by a Sultan of Oman to the UK for 44 years.
The last was in 1982 when Queen Elizabeth II hosted the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said – the current Sultan’s cousin – at Buckingham Palace.