What the South African state visit tells us about the new monarchy

Another week, another set of firsts for the new King. This time round, Charles III hosted the first state visit of his reign and welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK.

It was a short two-day visit but that didn’t stop the monarch from pulling out the stops for a diplomatic tour de force designed to reinforce the relationship between the two nations.

The trip had been in the works before Queen Elizabeth II’s death and while state visits generally stick to a time-honored program of events, King Charles still managed to put his own stamp on the occasion.

He kicked things off with a grand processional welcome teeming with British pomp and pageantry. Charles wasn’t alone as he warmly welcomed Ramaphosa at the Royal Pavilion at Horse Guards Parade in central London. Also in attendance were the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales – the couple having been dispatched to Ramaphosa’s hotel to greet the head of state earlier in the day.

More than 1,000 soldiers and 200 horses participated in the ceremonial military spectacle. The South African President looked delighted as he inspected a guard of honor and received a royal salute in the crisp winter sunshine from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards.

Lt Col James Shaw, who oversees major ceremonial events in his role as Brigade Major of the Household Division, said preparations for Tuesday’s welcome had taken “a huge amount of work,” before revealing that those involved were “very proud to support such an important national occasion.”

“The state visit is a historic first: our first state visit for His Majesty the King and the President of South Africa, the first state visit in London since 2019, the first processional state visit on Horse Guards since 2018, and the first for almost everyone on parade,” the military organizer said, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

Following the official welcome, the party took a carriage ride back to Buckingham Palace where Ramaphosa was greeted with a second honor guard. A tour of Royal Collection items themed around South Africa followed a private lunch put on by the King, before an elaborate white-tie state banquet in the evening.

Customarily held on the first night of a state visit, Buckingham Palace banquets are held in the ballroom, with around 160 invitations extended to individuals with “cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the country being hosted.”

Before everyone tucks into the lavish feast (a starter of grilled brill with wild mushrooms and truffles with a sorrel sauce, followed by Windsor pheasant filled with artichokes, quince compote and a port sauce for the main, in case you were wondering), the monarch traditionally says a few words and raises a glass to the guest of honor.

Charles wowed Ramaphosa by opening his speech with the word “welcome” in several different languages used in South Africa. After cracking a few jokes, the King praised the economic, scientific and cultural ties between the countries. All standard remarks for a banquet speech, but Charles also didn’t shy away from more challenging subjects, broaching the UK’s troubled legacy of colonialism.

“While there are elements of that history which provoke profound sorrow, it is essential that we seek to understand them,” he said. “We must acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past if we are to unlock the power of our common future.”

Charles’s comments were seen by many as part of a continued effort to unify the Commonwealth realms, some of which have in recent years expressed intentions to sever ties with London.

The monarch also chose the occasion to call for future cooperation on finding “practical solutions to the twin existential threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.”

With this first visit from a foreign leader coming just two months into his reign, the King was also keen to reflect on his late mother’s relationship with South Africa, recalling her visits to the country, the times she hosted Ramaphosa’s predecessors in London and the friendship she shared with revered statesman Nelson Mandela.

Other royals were also keen to make Elizabeth II’s presence felt, with Camilla donning the late Queen’s dazzling sapphire and diamond tiara with matching necklace and bracelet, and Kate wearing a bracelet that belonged to the family matriarch.

The South African state visit was Charles’s first big diplomatic test. He revealed that while he’ll lean on templates established by his mother, he also wants to shake things up and tackle issues that matter to him and his subjects head on.

Tellingly, he’s also planning on doing it with Camilla, William and Kate firmly at his side, and with other members of the House of Windsor backing up their plays. It became commonplace to see Charles support and sometimes stand in for his mother in the twilight of her reign. But this week, the prominence of the Prince and Princess of Wales during the state visit indicated that the couple have been elevated into crucial central roles. All four will work together, front and center, sharing duties as they seek to secure the future of the dynasty.

-cnn