King Charles and Queen Camilla will reportedly be hosting the first state visit of the year very soon, with the Princess of Wales likely to play a key role
As Princess Kate has returned to work for 2026 after a relaxing Christmas break, sources have claimed she is just months away from her first major tiara moment of the year. With the Princess of Wales’ calendar already stacking up, reports have claimed that she is likely to step back into a major role in March, as the first state visit of 2026 gets underway.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will reportedly host a major international leader in just a few months time for a historic state visit, with both Prince William and Princess Kate expected to undertake a huge royal role.
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A source told the Sunday Times : “It can be revealed that the King and Queen will host the president of Nigeria on a state visit to the U.K. in March, the first such visit since 1989.” While Buckingham Palace has not yet confirmed the visit, it would mark the first inward state visit of the year.
As state visits are marked with a glitzy banquet in Windsor Castle, the news of the potential visit has royal fans eager to see which tiara the Princess of Wales will don for the special occasion.
In 2025, Kate attended three state banquets: the French banquet in July, the US banquet in September, and the German banquet in December. For the French and US dinners, Kate opted for the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara.
For the German state banquet, the Princess of Wales debuted Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara, made of diamonds and rubies, which was designed by the German-born Prince Albert.
At all three state banquets last year, William and Kate undertook official welcome duties, travelling to airports to greet the international leaders as they touched down on UK soil. They would then accompany those being hosted on their trip to Windsor, where the state visit events take place.
State visits are an important way for the UK to strengthen its international relationships. Foreign monarchs, presidents or prime ministers of other countries visit King Charles during inward trips, while the British royals also travel abroad at the invitation of other nations for outward visits.
Inward state visits, which typically last for a few days, are often highlighted by a ceremonial welcome, luncheon with the royal family, grand state banquet and meetings between the visiting guest and British politicians.
While in Windsor, foreign leaders are also invited to inspect a Guard of Honour alongside King Charles, before heading inside the castle to observe artefacts from the Royal Collection. Once the state banquet begins in St George’s Hall, both Charles and the foreign leader being hosted give speeches about the countries’ relationship.
The Nigerian leader was last hosted in the UK by the late Queen Elizabeth when she welcomed General Ibrahim Babangida for a state visit to the U.K. in May 1989. More recently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Nigeria in May 2024 at the invitation of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, the country’s highest-ranking military official. Their visit, however, was not an official royal trip.
Source: Mirror
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