British State Visits & Tours: General Discussion, Suggestions & Musings

[Hans-Rickard]

As France is the closest continental country to England, perfectly served by the Channel Tunnel wich even makes a plane unnessesary - i don’t think a 3-day state visit to Paris would interfer with a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand wich likely would take 2 weeks and require the use of the A330

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by tommy100

Yes it isn't at all unusual for the sovereign or RF to be sent to visit after political leaders knock about. It is a way to show all is well in the long term whatever small difficulties may arise.

I read in the Telegraph that Charles will continue some royal traditions such as Christmas at Sandringham

I believe that Charles will want to continue that tradition especially for this year.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

As France is the closest continental country to England, perfectly served by the Channel Tunnel wich even makes a plane unnessesary - i don’t think a 3-day state visit to Paris would interfer with a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand wich likely would take 2 weeks and require the use of the A330

There are two pending incoming state visits from Japan and South Africa that were postponed during the pandemic and the Queen's final years.



Normally, the new monarch should visit a fellow Head of State first before receiving an incoming visit, but, in the case of Japan, I am not sure what the protocol would be since the Emperor never made a state visit to the UK before either.



I also imagine King Charles III will make return visits to Spain and the Netherlands, following the visits made by the monarchs of those countries recently during his mother's reign, but I am not sure how much of a priority those visits would be for the Foreign Office.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

There are two pending incoming state visits from Japan and South Africa that were postponed during the pandemic and the Queen's final years.



Normally, the new monarch should visit a fellow Head of State first before receiving an incoming visit, but, in the case of Japan, I am not sure what the protocol would be since the Emperor never made a state visit to the UK before either.



I also imagine King Charles III will make return visits to Spain and the Netherlands, following the visits made by the monarchs of those countries recently during his mother's reign, but I am not sure how much of a priority those visits would be for the Foreign Office.

I suspect the first incoming state visit might be Japan, as it is, in effect being rescheduled. The first outgoing state visit could well be France, as is being speculated, or perhaps, Germany. Providing the diplomatic cover for settling post-Brexit relations with Europe (the NI protocal chief amongst the issues that remains to be resolved) could be a key task for the King and Queen.

I do not think Charles will be rushing to Spain or the Netherlands, unless specifically asked by the government to do so.

I suspect trips to Australia, NZ and Canada should feature in the next year or so.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

As France is the closest continental country to England, perfectly served by the Channel Tunnel wich even makes a plane unnessesary - i don’t think a 3-day state visit to Paris would interfer with a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand wich likely would take 2 weeks and require the use of the A330

It is entirely possible that the state visit to France is a two day affair.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by muriel

I suspect the first incoming state visit might be Japan, as it is, in effect being rescheduled. The first outgoing state visit could well be France, as is being speculated, or perhaps, Germany. Providing the diplomatic cover for settling post-Brexit relations with Europe (the NI protocal chief amongst the issues that remains to be resolved) could be a key task for the King and Queen.

I would pleasantly surprised if one of King Charles first State Visits would be to Germany as one of thest (if not the last) State Visits of his mother to gErmany in 2015.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Stefan

I would pleasantly surprised if one of King Charles first State Visits would be to Germany as one of thest (if not the last) State Visits of his mother to gErmany in 2015.

I do appreciate that France and Germany were some of the last state visits made by QE2, but they were 7-8 years ago. Quite a lot has happened since on the Brexit front, and it is entirely plausible that the FCO requires state visits to these countries again.

[IloveCP]

Maybe one of the first state visits will be to/from Sweden. The last time there was a Swedish SV to the UK was in 1975 and the last there was a British SV to Sweden was in 1983.

[Hans-Rickard]

I’m not sure any state visits will be ”soon”… Charles and Camilla must employ their new households to begin with and i don’t expect that to be finished for awhile…
We are now in a transitional period seeing the key members of QEII’s and KCIII’s former households working side by side…

If there will be any incoming state visits before the coronation i expect it to be those from Japan and South Africa that was postponed during the pandemic..

QEII’s first outgoing State visit was to Panama 29 and 30 November 1953 - and her first incoming State visit was from the King and Queen of Sweden on 28:th June - 1 July 1954.
Though that might be explained by the Commonwealth Tours that took considerably longer time by then than what they do now as the era of modern aircrafts was still years ahead…

[Tilia C.]

Isn't the tradition that the new monarchs visit the longer reigning monarchs first, before receiving them on incoming SV? That way Charles III should be invited to visit Japan first, before the new Emperor visits Britain?

Actually, I don't expect State Visits any time soon. Maybe the British will follow the example of doing short, one-day introductory visits. That will need far less planning and will be easier to schedule. Than I guess that a priority will be tours to the commonwealth countries, especially Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be high on the priority list. And there's also a coronation to plan, which will keep court and government busy enough for the time being. In short, I do not think there will be state visits for a year, or so.

[Hans-Rickard]

Originally Posted by Tilia C.

Isn't the tradition that the new monarchs visit the longer reigning monarchs first, before receiving them on incoming SV? That way Charles III should be invited to visit Japan first, before the new Emperor visits Britain?

Actually, I don't expect State Visits any time soon. Maybe the British will follow the example of doing short, one-day introductory visits. That will need far less planning and will be easier to schedule. Than I guess that a priority will be tours to the commonwealth countries, especially Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be high on the priority list. And there's also a coronation to plan, which will keep court and government busy enough for the time being. In short, I do not think there will be state visits for a year, or so.

Queen Elizabeth II was visited by several heads of state before she paid a State visit to their countries herself - so i don’t think it is a hard rule that the newest monarch must be the first to visit

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List...y_Elizabeth_II

But i agree that i don’t expect loads of state visits (if any) to be resumed before the coronation

[Tilia C.]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

Queen Elizabeth II was visited by several heads of state before she paid a State visit to their countries herself - so i don’t think it is a hard rule that the newest monarch must be the first to visit

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List...y_Elizabeth_II

But i agree that i don’t expect loads of state visits (if any) to be resumed before the coronation

I'm curious as to what will happen with the cancelled Japanese SV, as both monarch's are fairly new to the throne. What we have seen with the other recently ascended monarchs from the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Japan is that none of them received an incoming SV from another monarchy before going there on an outgoing SV. Usually the visits are planned a long time in advance, even though we don't hear about them. So, if a country is interested in a British State Visit, but already has couple of other SV on their schedule,

Also, I think that a lot depends on what visits are already being planned by both parties. In many countries we often see approximately four per year: two incoming, two outgoing, two in spring, two in fall/winter. I assume that most countries are already busily planning their State Visits for the next 1-2 years. Clearing the calendar for an additional British SV might not always be possible. So maybe it partly depends on luck, whether calendars match or not.