--- description: The Prince of Wales — who has had rocky relations with China — will still meet its President Xi Jinping as the U.K. rolls out the red carpet title: Why Prince Charles Isn't Going to a State Dinner With China image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd510e6f647e54e57/698868edab6d77e6656a6bd9/prince-charles.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Britain](/tag/britain/) ## Britain Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Is Why Prince Charles Won't Be at a State Banquet for China ## Video: China's Drift Towards a More Fragmented World [Watch (HLS stream): China's Drift Towards a More Fragmented World](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jZ1U3aiv.m3u8) (2:49)  _Published 2015-06-02. Editor-at-large Ian Bremmer discusses China's financial growth and the challenges it faces in becoming the world's largest economy._ by [Eliza Gray / London](/author/eliza-gray/) ## Eliza Gray / London Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 9:59 PM CUT  The Prince of Wales, left, speaks with then Chinese President Hu Jintao on April 2, 2009, in London The Prince of Wales, left, speaks with then Chinese President Hu Jintao on April 2, 2009, in LondonTim Whitby—AP by [Eliza Gray / London](/author/eliza-gray/) ## Eliza Gray / London Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 9:59 PM CUT On Tuesday evening, at a state banquet in London hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan will be treated to the pomp and pageantry that only a monarch can bring to diplomacy. A hundred and fifty guests will dine at Buckingham Palace at a table [set with](http://royalcentral.co.uk/state/polish-the-silver-buckingham-palace-prepares-for-state-banquet-55183 "undefined") King George the IV’s silver collection and napkins displaying the Queen’s monogram. For the occasion of her first state banquet, Princess Kate will wear a tiara. It’s a warm reception for China, a country that has had a tense relationship with much of the West, and an indication that the friendship between Beijing and London is getting cozier at a moment when the U.S. and China are getting further apart. But one guest will be conspicuously absent at the state dinner: Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. His absence has renewed questions about the Prince’s rocky past with China. Over the years, Prince Charles has been notably absent from events with the Chinese. He didn’t attend the state banquet during former Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit in 2005 and he boycotted the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, citing [his support for Tibet](http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/01/28/uk-britain-prince-olympics-idUKKIM84503320080128 "undefined"). His feelings toward the Chinese have not been subtle — in a journal entry made after the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Beijing, the Prince described China’s leaders as [“appalling old waxworks.”](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4740684.stm "undefined") But this time, it seems that the Prince’s attitude toward working with the Chinese has changed. Though he isn’t attending the banquet, he and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, will keep a full schedule of activities with the Chinese President, including hosting Xi and his wife for tea at his home. In preparation for the visit, [according reports from the BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34541357 "undefined"), Charles chose not to see the Dalai Lama when he [visited](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34316578 "undefined") the U.K. last month. (After British Prime Minister David Cameron met with the Dalai Lama in 2012, China canceled diplomatic meetings between the two countries and British newspapers [reported](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22457242 "undefined") that Cameron had been effectively “banned” from the country.) The Prince’s office at Clarence House wouldn’t comment on his absence from the banquet, but noted his “significant involvement” in the state visit in an official statement. ### See the Official Flag Raising for China’s National Day  A paramilitary police officer adjusts another's cap as they and others wait in an underground tunnel before securing the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, early on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  Police officers hold back crowds as they gather at the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  People take pictures as they gather during the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  Paramilitary police officers march following the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  A girl poses in front of a large decorative flower arrangement after the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  A paramilitary police officer guards in an underground tunnel after securing the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  A man touches a flag sticker on his cheek while attending the official flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the 66th National Day in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images “He is very sympathetic to the Tibetans and I think he has reservations about the Chinese leaders,” says Roderic Wye, a fellow in the Asia program at [Chatham House](https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/roderic-wye "undefined"), an international affairs institute in London. “He hasn’t absented himself from it all, so it’s not as though he is completely snubbing the Chinese leader. But I do think he is making something of a point.” The points that Prince Charles makes are only going to become more important. Though Queen Elizabeth II has served longer than any other British monarch, she is nearly 90, so Prince Charles has [begun to take on](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3241679/Prince-Charles-increasingly-takes-duties-Queen-Prince-William-duty.html "undefined") a larger share of royal responsibilities. A new play, [_King Charles III_](http://www.kingcharlesiiibroadway.com/ "undefined"), which opens on Nov. 1 in New York City after a successful run in London, imagines a future where King Charles stops the passage of a law that restricts the freedom of the press. Though the plot portrays Charles as a protector of free speech, it nonetheless reflects the worry in Britain that the Prince — who has tended to be far more outspoken than his mother about political causes dear to his heart, like the environment — may overstep the bounds of what is expected from a modern king. That concern only deepened in June when the _Guardian_ released [a collection](http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/prince-charles-letters "undefined") of secret letters from Prince Charles to members of Parliament, lobbying for pet causes like rain forest conservation and access to alternative medicine in the National Health Service. So what will the scion of one of the oldest royal families in the world and the leader of the biggest economy in the world discuss over tea? “They are going to have to talk about something as they chomp on the cucumber sandwiches,” says Wye. “He is well aware of his duty and position, and he is not going to insult or annoy his guests, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is not going to speak his mind because he also likes to do that.” It may well be that Prince Charles’s willingness to meet with Xi has less to do with his own feelings then with those of the current British government, which has gone to great lengths to cement its relationship with China — much to the irritation of Washington. In March, Britain became the first major Western country to apply to join the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, against the expressed wishes of the U.S. And in September British Chancellor George Osborne — the most likely successor to Cameron as the leader of the conservative party — gave a [speech](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-lets-create-a-golden-decade-for-the-uk-china-relationship "undefined") at the Shanghai Stock Exchange pledging to make Britain China’s “best partner in the West,” calling for increased exports from Britain to China and Chinese investment in British infrastructure. ### See China's Epic Parade Commemorating the End of World War II  A phalanx honoring heroes of the "Pingxingguan Pass Battle" during a grand military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Fei Maohua—Xinhua Press/Corbis  Guards of honor walk past Tiananmen Gate during the military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images  South Korean President Park Geun Hye, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, former Chinese President Jian Zemin, former Chinese President Hu Jintao, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stand on top of Tiananmen Gate to watch a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015 Andy Wong—Getty Images  Chinese president and leader of the Communist Party Xi Jinping rides in an open top car in front of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City during a military parade in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  Members of a Chinese military choir sing near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City during a military parade in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  Chinese President Xi Jinping offers a toast after delivering a speech during a reception to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender during World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Lintao Zhang—AP  Military vehicles carrying shore-to-ship missiles drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Getty Images  Entertainers perform during the gala marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Wu Hong—EPA  Military vehicles drive past Tiananmen Gate during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images  Chinese army personnel stand during a parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Ng Han Guan—AP  Balloons are released during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. Meng Yongmin—Xinhua Press/Corbis  People record trainer jets flying over Tiananmen Square during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2015. China Daily—Reuters Britain’s overtures have been warmly received by Beijing. In an interview with [Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/18/us-china-britain-xi-exclusive-idUSKCN0SC03520151018 "undefined") before departing for London, President Xi praised the U.K. for its desire to be the Western country “most open” to China. And, in an unusual move, the Chinese delegation is not visiting any other European member states on the trip. “It’s very rare for a Chinese leader to go to just one country on a trip to Europe. But it follows perhaps the most intense wooing of the Chinese within the European Union,” says [François Godement](http://www.ecfr.eu/profile/C30 "undefined"), director of the Asia and China program at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “Why shouldn’t the Chinese extol the U.K. as a model for the rest of the European member states? It is the best offer they are getting, at least in words.” Whether those words will allow Britain to exert influence over China’s behavior is less clear. Steel is a likely topic for the visit, as President Xi’s arrival coincides with the loss of 1,200 jobs in the U.K. at the multinational steelmaker Tata Steel — cuts that were partially a result of China’s recent offloading of cheap steel to help its slowing economy. But China’s ambassador to the U.K. has notably [refused](http://www.itv.com/news/2015-10-19/china-ambassador-unapologetic-for-redcar-steel-job-losses/ "undefined") to apologize for China’s steel prices. It isn’t so hard to understand why London would be willing to cede so much ground to Beijing. By the end of 2017, Britain will hold a referendum on whether to exit the European Union, and if it does, it will be even more important to maintain strong economic ties with China, the world’s largest economy. Put simply, Britain needs China more than the other way around. In that respect, Britain is not so different from its future monarch: each must go along with the more powerful entity, no matter what they believe. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/"},"headline":"This Is Why Prince Charles Won't Be at a State Banquet for China","datePublished":"2015-10-19T21:59:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:13.442Z","description":"The Crown Prince — who has had rocky relations with Beijing — will still meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as the U.K. rolls out the red carpet","url":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/","keywords":["Britain","Prince Charles","China","uk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd510e6f647e54e57/698868edab6d77e6656a6bd9/prince-charles.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliza Gray / London"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd510e6f647e54e57/698868edab6d77e6656a6bd9/prince-charles.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Prince Charles China","caption":"Prince Charles China","creditText":"Tim Whitby—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/britain/","name":"Britain"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/","name":"This Is Why Prince Charles Won't Be at a State Banquet for China"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"China's Drift Towards a More Fragmented World","description":"Editor-at-large Ian Bremmer discusses China's financial growth and the challenges it faces in becoming the world's largest economy.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/jZ1U3aiv/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-02T18:26:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jZ1U3aiv.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/","duration":"PT2M49S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4078526/prince-charles-state-banquet/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```