King Charles to Welcome Japanese Emperor and Empress for First State Visit Since His Cancer Diagnosis

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan are in the U.K. for a state visit hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the first for the British monarch since he announced his cancer diagnosis in February and stepped back from public duties.

The state visit—rescheduled from 2020 after it was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic—begins on Tuesday and takes place across several days. 

The trip aims to bolster ties between the two nations, whose royal families have enjoyed close relations for three generations, from the late Emperor Hirohito, Emperor Naruhito’s grandfather.

The trip also marks a sentimental return to Britain for the 64-year-old Anglophile Emperor, who attended the University of Oxford as a fellow researching the history of transportation on the Thames. Before his departure, the Emperor spoke well of his time in the U.K. "I have fond memories of the heartwarming hospitality I received from Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family, making me feel like I was part of their family," he said during a news conference in Tokyo.

Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in May 2019, after his father Akihito abdicated from the world’s oldest monarchy. His trip to the U.K. was originally intended to be his first state visit, which would have marked the third Japanese state visit that Queen Elizabeth would have hosted in her lifetime. In her 70-year reign, the Queen hosted Emperor Hirohito in 1971 and his eldest son Emperor Akihito in 1998.

The Emperor and Empress arrived in London over the weekend and spent two days attending private engagements ahead of festivities with the British royal family. Monday saw the couple visit the Thames Barrier, the retractable flood control gates embedded in London’s largest river, as a nod to his long standing fascination with the waterway.

Here’s what’s in store for the state visit:

Tuesday, June 25

On Tuesday, William, the Prince of Wales, will greet the Emperor and Empress at their hotel, before traveling with them to Horse Guards Parade for a ceremonial welcome.

The King and Queen will then host lunch as well as a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, with many royal observers keen to see if Kate, the Princess of Wales, will also be in attendance after months away from the spotlight while she receives cancer treatment. The Princess surprised fans on June 15, when she attended the annual Trooping the Colour parade and posed on the Buckingham Palace balcony for photographs.

Wednesday, June 26

The Emperor and Empress’ subsequent days will be filled with a number of activities, including Wednesday’s trip to the Francis Crick Institute, the U.K.’s flagship biomedical research center. Japan is a world leader in cancer clinical research and the institute is home to a U.K.-Japan research partnership across a number of public health concerns, including cancer and vaccinations. 

Thursday, June 27

On Thursday, the couple will travel to Windsor Castle to lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022. The couple were among global leaders and royals who attended the historic funeral service at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19 that year.

They will also stop by the Japan: Myths to Manga exhibition at the Young V&A museum, before heading to the tourist hotspot Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Across its 330 acres, Kew Gardens contain a number of nods to Japanese culture, from towering bonsai trees to the Japanese Gateway, a replica of a Kyoto temple.

Friday, June 28

The couple will end their trip with their first mutual visit to their shared alma mater in Oxford, before heading home. Before they depart, they will be greeted by the Lord Chamberlain who will formally bid them farewell.