1 November 2016
Buckingham Palace
The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos today commenced a State Visit in London to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall welcomed The President and Mrs. Santos on behalf of The Queen at Rosewood London Hotel, 252 High Holborn, London WC1.
The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos, accompanied by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, drove to Horse Guards and were met by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos, accompanied by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, drove in a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace with a Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry.
Gun 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 and at Buckingham Palace by 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and a Detachment of Household Cavalry were on duty.
The Queen presented The President of the Republic of Colombia 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 Colombia and Mrs. Santos later drove to Westminster Abbey where His Excellency laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos afterwards visited the Palace of Westminster and were received by the Lord Speaker (the Lord Fowler) and the Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons). The Speaker welcomed The President and His Excellency delivered an Address. The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos subsequently attended a Reception with Peers, Members of Parliament and other guests.
The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos later visited The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a State Banquet this evening in honour of The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos at which The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were present.
The following had the honour of being invited:
Suite of The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos: Mrs. María Angela Holguín (Minister of Foreign Affairs), His Excellency Mr. Néstor Osorio (Ambassador from the Republic of Colombia to the Court of St. James's) and Mrs. Paola Napoli, Mr. Mauricio Cárdenas (Minister of Finance and Public Credit), Mr. Luis Carlos Villegas (Minister of National Defence), Mr. Luis Gilberto Murillo (Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development), Mrs. María Claudia Lacouture (Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism), Mr. Mauricio Lizcano (President of the Congress of Colombia), Mr. Néstor Humberto Martínez (Attorney General of Colombia), Mr. Enrique Riveira (Private Secretary to The President) and Mr. Sergio Londoño Zurek (Notetaker to The President).
Specially attached to The President of the Republic of Colombia and Mrs. Santos: The Hon. Dame Annabel Whitehead (Lady in Waiting), the Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) and the Viscountess Hood, Dr. Peter Tibber (Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia) and Mrs. Tibber and Wing Commander Sam Fletcher RAF (Equerry in Waiting).
Diplomatic Corps: His Excellency the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras and Mrs. Mirian Nasser de Romero, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain, His Excellency the Ambassador of Ireland and Mrs. Daniel Mulhall, Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway and Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen and Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba and Mr. Antonio Rodriguez.
The Cabinet and Government: The Prime Minister and Mr. Philip May, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Philip Hammond, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs. Marina Johnson Wheeler, the Secretary of State for Defence and Lady Fallon, the Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade (the Rt. Hon. Dr. Liam Fox MP), the Leader of the House of Lords (the Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) and Mr. James Wild and the Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Duncan MP (Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office) and Mr. James Dunseath.
Special Invitations: Mr. David Bojanini and Mrs. Paula Jaramillo, Mr. Matt Burrow, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carney, Sir Roger and Lady Carr, Mr. and Mrs. Giles Clarke, Mr. Malcolm Deas, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Deverell, the Rt. Hon. Nigel Dodds MP and Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Juan Carlos Echeverry and Ms. Verónica Navas, Mr. Tim Farron MP, the Lord Speaker (the Lord Fowler) and the Lady Fowler, the Lord and Lady Garel-Jones, Sir Jeremy Heywood, Mr. Gregory Hodkinson and Ms. Siobhan O'Connor, Sir Bernard and Lady Hogan-Howe, the Earl and Countess of Kilmorey, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor of London and the Lady Mayoress, Sir Mark and Lady Lyall Grant, Mr. Bruce Mac Master and Mrs. Ana Torres, the Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG and Dame Norma Major, Dr. Ignacio Mantilla Prada and Dr. Liliana Blanco Castañeda, Sir Simon McDonald and the Hon. Lady McDonald, Mr. Fernando Montaño, Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Murray, Mr. Pablo Navas and Mrs. Gina Reyes de Navas, Mr. and Mrs. John Nelson, the Earl Marshal and the Duchess of Norfolk, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart and Lady Peach, Mr. Jonathan Powell and Mrs. Sarah Helm, Mr. Michael Reid and Mrs. Emma Raffo de Reid, the Rt. Hon. Angus Robertson MP and Mrs. Robertson, Mr. Mauricio Rodríguez, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Slee, the Baroness Smith of Basildon and Mr. Nigel Smith, the Lord and Lady Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Ms. Emily Thornberry MP and the Hon. Mr. Justice Nugee, the Duke and Duchess of Wellington, the Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster (Councillor Steve Summers) and Consort, Mrs. Andrew McCarthy and Mr. and Mrs. Alex Younger.
Members of the accompanying Colombian Delegation: Mr. Alejandro Santodomingo (Managing Director, Grupo Santo Domingo) and the Lady Charlotte Santodomingo, Mr. Carlos Alejandro Pérez (Managing Director, Quadrant Capital Advisors Inc.), Mr. Carlos Urrutia (Senior Partner, Brigard and Urrutia, Mr. Martín Carrizosa (Founding Partner, Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU and Uría), Mr. Jaime Gilinski (Banco Sabadell), Mr. Eduardo Pacheco (Chairman, Banco Colpatria), Mr. Felipe Bautista (President, Thomas Greg and Sons), Mr. Fernando Bautista (Vice President, Thomas Greg and Sons), Mr. Carlos Enrique Cavelier (President, Alqueria), Mr. Felipe Jaramillo Samper (President, Alfonso Jaramillo and Cía), Mr. Martin Santos (President, Fundación Buen Gobierno), Mr. Manuel Parody (Grupo Parody), Mrs. Ingrid Betancourt (Fellow, Oxford University), Mr. Esteban Santos and Mrs. Maria Antonia Santos.
while I more than agree, in Clemencias case, it may suit her. Though she worked in banking and pr, she is a graphic art and illustrator. She has published children's education books from what I have read. And while she stays out of politics mainly, she spends a lot of time with charities for military and police veterans. So visiting nursery schools and hospitals likely appeals a lot to her.
