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| Sean Coughlan | Royal Correspondent |
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| Welcome to Royal Watch. The diplomatic red carpet was rolled out for the Emir of Qatar’s visit to the UK this week, with a full line-up of senior royals. Queen Camilla was among them for some of it, revealing more about the illness that has caused her to pull out of other engagements. Plus, find out what was on the menu at the Buckingham Palace banquet.
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales has sent an emotional letter ahead of her carol service. And are royal curtains on your Christmas list? | |
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Banquet in the ballroom | This week’s state visit by the Emir of Qatar was the traditional mix of glittering ceremonial welcomes and the grittier diplomatic business of strengthening relations with a key international partner.
The UK Foreign Office advises on which countries should be invited for a state visit - and Qatar is seen as a valuable bridge between the West and the Middle East, with strong military and business ties to the UK. |
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 | Charles praised his Qatari guests for their “efforts over the past year in pursuit of peace”. Credit: PA | A state visit is all about old-school influencing. Marching bands, gun salutes, carriage rides, and not too many awkward questions about human rights - although there were some protesters on the Mall shouting: “Qatar’s anti-gay shame.”
It’s soft power with parades and chandeliers. The centrepiece is the state banquet, in the spectacular setting of Buckingham Palace’s ballroom, with a 4,000-piece dinner service set out with architectural precision, five glasses per person. As guests arrived for the banquet, the palace looked like a Christmas card, with elegantly decorated trees in its wide corridors.
Here’s what was on the menu:
- A light tartlet of Cornish lobster with quails eggs and organic salad leaves
- Supreme of Windsor pheasant wrapped in Savoy cabbage, roasted celeriac puree, gratinated potatoes with a soft creamy cheese from Suffolk, truffle sauce and winter vegetables
- Iced bombe with organic Samoan vanilla ice cream and Balmoral plum sorbet
The wine list was: Chapel Down Grand Reserve 2018; Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes; Domaine Genot-Boulanger 2019; Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac 2000; Chateau La Tour Blanche, 1er Cru Sauternes 2001. |
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|  | The Qatari royals were taken to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession. Credit: PA | Now he is prime minister, Keir Starmer was on the top table for the first time, while opposition leader Kemi Badenoch was sitting next to ex-footballer David Beckham. About 150 guests heard the King give a speech praising Qatar’s role as a mediator in Middle East conflict.
It’s the last time for a few years that state visits will be held in this ballroom. The renovation plans for Buckingham Palace mean it could be in Windsor Castle next time instead. |
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Queen had pneumonia | Queen Camilla missed the outdoor elements of the state visit, revealing to guests that her chest infection had been a form of pneumonia. According to royal sources she has recovered well, but is still suffering from bouts of post-viral fatigue. |
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 | Changes to Camilla’s diary have been made on the advice of doctors. Credit: Getty | Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales was there for the ceremonial welcome and carriage procession - her first state visit this year - although she did not attend the banquet. | |
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Royal Quiz | Which member of the Royal Family introduced the Christmas tree to Britain?
A. Queen Charlotte B. Prince Albert C. Queen Victoria
Read to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer. | |
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Personal touch | The Princess of Wales’s annual carol service in Westminster Abbey this week will be a big moment for her after a tough year. Guests were sent a personal letter from Catherine and the unashamedly emotional tone of the language was striking, as she called for “love not fear”. |
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 | Catherine’s carol service will include readings, music and guest speakers. Credit PA | Palace messages have often used rather dry and understated language. But hers is written in a different key. “Love is the light than can shine bright, even in our darkest times,” wrote Catherine - her empathetic tone perhaps inspired by her health issues this year. |
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Your Royal Watch | Last week, we asked who you thought was the most interesting royal in British history.
“To me, Henry VIII is the winner,” writes Royal Watch reader Elisabeth. Meanwhile, Nettie makes the case for Queen Victoria, describing her as “surprisingly humane and radical in some ways”.
Chris from Hove in the UK says: “There are so many deserving candidates, but there can only be one winner: Charles I of England.” But it might not be for a reason that the King himself would have approved, because Chris likes him for having been deposed in the 1640s, temporarily ending the monarchy.
If Charles I piqued your interest, why not take a look at this rare centuries-old court report from his infamous trial, that went on display over the summer.
This week we want to know: how do you feel health challenges faced by members of the Royal Family over the past year have influenced public perceptions of the monarchy?
Please remember to include your name and the country you’re writing from. Send us your thoughts on royalwatch@bbc.co.uk. | |
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|  | Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is involved with the project. Credit: PA | A charity auction is selling eight foot stools covered in recycled royal curtains. The curtains used to hang in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and now they’re being used to upholster stools to raise funds for the King’s Foundation, a charity that supports the teaching of traditional crafts.
So far the auction has had bids worth over £10,000. Buyers will literally be able to put their feet up on a piece of Buckingham Palace… |
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A piece of royal history | Dame Margaret Barbour - the chair of UK brand Barbour - received the Special Recognition Award at the British Fashion Awards on Monday. The 130-year-old brand, famous for its waxed cotton jackets, has long been associated with the Royal Family, with the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana among those to have famously worn the coats. Here, the then-Prince Charles is pictured wearing a Barbour jacket with a flat cap at a hunting event in 1978. |
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