State Visit from the King of Saudi Arabia: October 30-November 2, 2007


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Avalon

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom and will stay at the Buckingham Palace.
The visit will start on October 30 and will end on November 2.


The thread will be opened closer to the date.
 
Since the event is tomorrow, I've reopened the thread.
 
His Majesty has made a rather big mess of the start of this State Visit, what with his comments on terrorism etc. Lets hope that the rest of the visit will be a sucess.

Look out for new orders and decorations at tomorrows state banquet, especially for The Duchess of Cornwall, any suggestions about what she might get?

Here are a few links to new articles and the FCO page on the State Visit:

Saudi Arabia State Visit Foreign & Commonwealth Office
BBC NEWS | UK | Saudi king chides UK on terrorism
BBC NEWS | UK | Cable to boycott Saudi king visit
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Saudi visit to seal ties with UK
 
Pics 29.10.2007

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is greeted by Britain's Prince Charles
at Heathrow airport, London, Monday Oct. 29, 2007.

* Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 *
 
Look out for new orders and decorations at tomorrows state banquet, especially for The Duchess of Cornwall, any suggestions about what she might get?

The Royal Family Order at last?! :clap:
 
I think Charles is a little scared!:D Can't wait for tomorrow!Does the king have a wife? Did he bring her too?
 
thanks for the photos. I am scared too. Just finish the movies "the Kingdom" and the "the mighty heart" and did feel the peace problems in the world.
 
Human rights watch was on the bbc this morning. Their director talked about 7000 lashings for sodomy and a few beheadings in the past year for I know not what. He did not think it would be on the agenda to discuss with the King because the foreign minister had said England and SA share many common values. He also commented that many moslims may resent the western world because it seems to condone the lack of human rights, esp in SA.

Two-faced oil Sheiks who trade in terror | the Daily Mail
.......Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells has spoken of the 'shared values' between our two countries.

What shared values? Was he thinking of Riyadh's 'Chop-Chop Square' where adulterers and thieves lose heads or arms under the kingdom's brutal Sharia law? Was he referring to the scores of Saudi political dissenters executed and tortured every year? .....
 
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Human rights watch was on the bbc this morning. Their director talked about 7000 lashings for sodomy and a few beheadings in the past year for I know not what. He did not think it would be on the agenda to discuss with the King because the foreign minister had said England and SA share many common values.

Two-faced oil Sheiks who trade in terror | the Daily Mail
.......Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells has spoken of the 'shared values' between our two countries.

What shared values? Was he thinking of Riyadh's 'Chop-Chop Square' where adulterers and thieves lose heads or arms under the kingdom's brutal Sharia law? Was he referring to the scores of Saudi political dissenters executed and tortured every year? .....


brutal Sharia law !!
As a Muslim I really didn't like your comment although I respect your right for expressing your opinion.
by the way I think all the people around the world despite their backgrounds shares the same values so don't be surprise if you share the same values with the King of saudi arabia :D


Back to the topic

The king made his State Visit to the UK more interesting by his comments but I wonder what his really motivation to start his visit in this way.
 
News Galleries

King Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia (L) is greeted by Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (R) at Heathrow Airport on October 29, 2007 in west London, England.
 
Susan Alicia, before we start drooling over bejeweled Royals at a glittering state banquet tonight (It IS a favorite pastime of mine, so I am pleading guilty), I wanted to congratulate you on including a critical comment here which I don't consider OT.
In order to answer your rhetoric question, I have to be both serious and a bit cynical: The main 'shared value' here is traded for money, it's a three letter word and spells O-I-L. Besides, there's another 'value' strictly for the Royal Family, it comes in for free regularly, is measured in carats and has been put around the necks of all major female Royals for decades.
Everything's relative and of course there are countries where even worse things are going on than in Saudi Arabia, but the Western World has indeed terrible politic double standards depending on which Islamic country keeps the oil flowing in our direction and which one doesn't.
 
Do you think Saudi Arabia will hand out Orders to members of the British Royal Family and vise versa

No................. if Camilla has the RFO there won't be announcement or ceremony (there never is with RFO). One just starts wearing it. You only know one receives it by seeing it worn by one at a State event like this.
 
No................. if Camilla has the RFO there won't be announcement or ceremony (there never is with RFO). One just starts wearing it. You only know one receives it by seeing it worn by one at a State event like this.

I know, I don't just mean the RFO, what about State Orders etc. Will His Majesty recieve anything from The Queen.
 
I know, I don't just mean the RFO, what about State Orders etc. Will His Majesty recieve anything from The Queen.

Probably.... if not an order, certainly a very exquisite gift exchange. We shall see! :)
 
I know, I don't just mean the RFO, what about State Orders etc. Will His Majesty recieve anything from The Queen.
If he does he won't ear it (not that we can see anyway ;))

I hope to see the kokoshnik tonight, accompanied by Queen Victoria's diamond collier (neither shall probably make an appearance.lol.). I just think when you're hosting the King of Saudi Arabia that one should ware one's best (or is that most impressive?) diamonds!
 
Pics 30.10.2007

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, The Prince
of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh at Horse Guards Parade, London,
during the ceremonial welcome for King Abdullah, 30 October 2007

**Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **

A protestor dressed as Queen Elizabeth II is watched by the police at
the Mall, London, during the state visit of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
A small group of protestors chanted slogans and waved banners highlighting
the countries human rights record and the financial scandal over the his
countries contract with British company BAE:

Pic
 
Getty Gallery from yesterday's reception of The King

AFP report from today's ceremonies
Summary: The Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined HM The Queen, and TRH The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales in the formal welcome of King Abdullah at Horse Guards Parade. They marched along the Mall with the Household Cavalry band. Following the honour guard inspection, The Queen and The King rode to Buckingham Palace in an ornate carriage.
Pressure group Campaign Against The Arms Trade held a demonstration along the route of King Abdullah's carriage journey with the queen, calling for the reopening of the arms deal investigation.

I think today the Prime Minister and The Queen each had a meeting with The King, and there was the luncheon and tonight is the State banquet, right?
 
Juste seen on Sky: The duchees of Cornwall has the family order!!!!!!!!! (And wearing apparently the Honeycomb Tiara).
 
Absolutely wonderful, fantastic, fabulous and great news - I'm so happy for Camilla. Finally! :clap:
 
Today, the Windsors became civilised. Well done Ma'am - that yellow ribbon is very well deserved. And ok, I did write to the Queen demanding it be given but I won't take credit. This is faaabulous. Has Camilla got any Saudi orders on?
 
:clap: Awesome news about Camilla! Woohoo! We just must have a picture, though. Are we to have any pictures at all from the banquet?

There are more pictures from the parade today. There are just seven pics but they are nice ones. The Queen and King Abdullah apparently shared a funny joke in the carriage.
Abaca Press Americas Search Results
 
HM The Queen has conferred the Royal Family Order on HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, though no Saudi Orders. Camilla was wearing the Queen Mother's honeycomb Tiara, and The Queen had on The Girls of Great Britian and Ireland Tiara.

The BBC has just finished their live feed from the State Banquet, a rather grand affair indeed. HM and HM led the procession into dinner (The Duke of Abercorn and The Lord Chamberlain walked infront) while the orchestra played two verses of the National Anthem (GSTQ) Then The Queen spoke and welcomed The King, there were no toasts as there is no alcohol just water but the National Anthems were played at the end of each speech. Then The King thanked The Queen and made his speech.

British Royals present (well the once I seen on TV) HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, HRH The Duke of York, HRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, mayby more but I didn't see them on TV.
 
Perhaps the Family Order was a recognition by the Queen of Camilla's gracious behaviour during that fiasco surrounding her attendance and then non-attendance at Diana's memorial service.

Richard Kay's pen is probably on fire....:D
 
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