COURT CIRCULAR

Buckingham Palace

The President of the Republic of South Africa arrived at Buckingham Palace today on a State Visit to The King and The Queen Consort.

The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed The President on behalf of His Majesty at the Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Place, London SW1.

The President of the Republic of South Africa, accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses, travelled by car to Horse Guards and was met by The King and The Queen Consort.

The President, accompanied by Their Majesties, drove in a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry.

Royal Salutes were fired in Green Park by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

Guards of Honour were provided at Horse Guards by Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards and at Buckingham Palace by 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

His Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, and a Detachment of Household Cavalry were on duty.

The King presented The President of the Republic of South Africa with the Insignia of an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

The President of the Republic of South Africa this afternoon visited Westminster Abbey where His Excellency laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

The President afterwards visited the Palace of Westminster and was received by the Lord Speaker (the Lord McFall of Alcluith) and the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP (Speaker of the House of Commons).

The Speaker welcomed The President of the Republic of South Africa and His Excellency delivered an Address.

The President subsequently attended a Reception with Peers, Members of Parliament and other guests.

The King and The Queen Consort gave a State Banquet this evening in honour of The President of the Republic of South Africa at which The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and The Duke of Kent were present.

The following had the honour of being invited:

Suite of The President of the Republic of South Africa

Dr Naledi Pandor (Minister of International Relations and Co-operation), His Excellency Mr Jeremiah Nyamane Mamabolo (High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa), Dr Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande (Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation), Mr Ebrahim Patel (Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition), Dr Joseph Phaahla (Minister of Health), Ms Phindile Baleni (Director General in the Presidency), Ms Roshene Singh (Deputy Director General, Office of The President), Ambassador Maud Dlomo (Director General, Americas and Europe), Ms Donné Nicol (Special Adviser to The President) and Dr Maropene Ramokgopa (International Relations Adviser to The President).

Specially attached in attendance upon The President of the Republic of South Africa

The Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) and the Viscountess Hood, Mr Antony Phillipson (British High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa) and Mrs Phillipson, and Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson (Equerry in Waiting).

Diplomatic Corps

His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras and Mrs Mirian Nasser de Romero.

The Cabinet and Government

The Prime Minister and Mrs Murty, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and Mrs James Cleverly, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Mrs Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for International Trade and Mr Hamish Badenoch, the Leader of the House of Lords and the Lady True, and the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP (Minister of State for Development and Africa) and Dr Sharon Bennett.

Special Invitations

The Baroness Amos (Master, University College, Oxford), Mr Andrew Bailey (Governor of the Bank of England) and Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey, Ms Zeinab Badawi (President, School of Oriental and African Studies, Journalist and Broadcaster) and Mr Bertrand Facon, Sir Philp Barton (Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) and Lady Barton, the Rt Hon Ian Blackford MP (Leader of the Scottish National Party at Westminster), the Lord Boateng (Former British High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa) and the Lady Boateng, the Lord Burnett (Lord Chief Justice), Dr Simon Case (Cabinet Secretary), Mr Stuart Chambers (Chairman, Anglo American plc) and Mrs Chambers, the Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey MP (Leader of the Liberal Democrats) and Lady Davey, Mr Richard Deverell (Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and Mrs Deverell, the Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP (Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party at Westminster), Mr Hendrik du Toit (Chief Executive Officer, NinetyOne) and Mrs du Toit, Professor Robert Fender (Head of the Department of Astrophysics, University of Oxford) and Mrs Fender, Mr Bassim Haidar (Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Channel VAS) and Mrs Aleksandra Eriksson Haidar, the Lord Hain (Campaigner, Politician and Author) and the Lady Hain, Ms Kelly Hoppen (Interior Designer) and Mr John Gardiner, the Speaker of the House of Commons and Lady Hoyle, Mr John Humphrey (His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa) and Mrs Humphrey, Dr Tristram Hunt (Director, Victoria and Albert Museum), Mr Martin Kingston (Chief Executive Officer, Rothschild and Company, South Africa), Ms Diana Layfield (Chairman, British International Investment plc), Mr Jason Leonard (Chairman, Atlas Foundation) and Ms Amanda Heathcote, the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor (Alderman Nicholas Lyons) and the Lady Mayoress, the Lord Speaker (the Lord McFall of Alcluith), Dame Sarah MacIntosh (Deputy National Security Adviser), Mr Richard Moore (Chief, Secret Intelligence Service) and Mrs Moore, the Earl Marshal and the Duchess of Norfolk, Sir Paul Nurse (Director and Chief Executive, the Francis Crick Institute) and Lady Nurse, the Lord Oates (Co-Chairman, APPG South Africa) and Mr David Hill, Professor Kate O’Regan (Director, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights) and Mr Alec Freund, Mr Imtiaz Patel (Chairman, MultiChoice) and Mrs Fatemba Bhabha, Professor Lewis Pugh (Endurance Swimmer, United Nations Patron of the Oceans), Admiral Sir Antony Radakin (Chief of the Defence Staff) and Lady Radakin, Mr Johannes Radebe (Dancer), Mr Shabir Randeree (lately Deputy Chairman, Al Baraka Bank, South Africa) and Mrs Randeree, Professor Helen Rees (Founder, University of Witwatersrand’s Reproductive Health and HIV Institute) and Dr Fazel Randera, Sir Mark Rowley (Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis) and Lady Rowley, Mr Johann Rupert (Chairman, Remgro Limited) and Mrs Rupert, Sir Nigel Sheinwald (Chairman, Chatham House), the Baroness Smith of Basildon (Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords), the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP (Leader of the Opposition) and Lady Starmer, Mr Jacob Stausholm (Chief Executive, Rio Tinto) and Mrs Stausholm, Professor Caroline Trotter (Head of Cambridge-Africa Programme, University of Cambridge) and Mr Mark Bush, Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Adviser) and Lady Vallance, and the Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster (Councillor Hamza Taouzzale) and Consort (Ms Jasmine El-Gharras).

Members of the South African Delegation

Dr Philemon Mjwara (Director General, Department of Science and Innovation), Ms Thembisile Majola (Director General, State Security, South African Government), Ms Nonceba Losi (Chief of State Protocol, Department of International Relations and Co-operation), Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa (Head of Presidential Investment and Infrastructure), Dr Nicholas Crisp (Director General, Department of Health), Ms Nokukhanya Jele (Legal Adviser to The President), Dr Derrick Swartz (Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation), Mr Vincent Magwenya (Spokesperson to The President) and Mrs Alenore Mamabolo (Spouse of the High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa).

Ms Stephanie Al-Qaq was received in audience by The King this afternoon and kissed hands upon her appointment as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

St James’s Palace

The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, today carried out the following engagements in the Falkland Islands. Her Royal Highness this morning visited the HMS Sheffield Memorial on Sea Lion Island. The Princess Royal afterwards visited Sea Lion Island National Nature Reserve.

Her Royal Highness this afternoon visited the settlement at Bluff Cove.

The Princess Royal this evening visited the Falkland Islands Defence Force Headquarters, Kiel Canal Road, Stanley.

Kensington Palace

The Duchess of Gloucester, President, Royal Academy of Music, this morning attended a Governing Body Meeting at North House, 27 Great Peter Street, London SW1.

St James’s Palace

The Duke of Kent, Grand Master, United Grand Lodge of England, this morning opened the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution care home, “Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Court”, at Mole Road, Sindlesham, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire (Mr James Puxley).