Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Empress Masako arrived in the UK on Saturday for their long-awaited state visit, initially scheduled for 2020 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Landing in the afternoon at Stansted Airport, north of London, the imperial couple will spend seven days in the UK, engaging in private activities before the state visit officially commences on June 25. Both Naruhito and Masako have personal ties to the UK, having studied at the University of Oxford at different times.

This visit marks the 64-year-old emperor’s first journey abroad since his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, a trip that had to be postponed due to the global health crisis. Emperor Naruhito previously attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.

The state visit will officially begin on Tuesday, featuring a formal welcome by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, followed by a ceremonial carriage procession to Buckingham Palace. The emperor will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey before a state banquet at the palace. The banquet will be attended by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who are embroiled in a general election campaign ahead of the July 4 vote.

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