King Charles Hosts First Ramadan State Visit by Muslim Leader in a Century
King Charles is preparing to host a historic state visit at Windsor Castle, welcoming Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday. This marks the first incoming state visit by a Muslim leader during the holy month of Ramadan in what is believed to be nearly 100 years.
Historic Timing and Adaptation
The two-day state visit falls at the end of Ramadan, during which many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. As a result, the programme has been specially adapted. Instead of hosting the traditional welcome lunch, the King will receive President Tinubu during an afternoon audience. The president will break his fast privately at sunset before joining the King and Queen for a night-time state banquet in St George's Hall, attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
This visit is the first of its kind since 1928, when King George V hosted King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan for a three-day state visit from March 13-15, with Ramadan occurring between February 22 and March 22 that year. There are no known records showing whether King Amanullah observed Ramadan during that visit.
Ceremonial Welcome and Security
The visit will feature traditional pomp and pageantry. On Wednesday morning, Prince William and Princess Kate will greet the president and first lady at the luxury Fairmont Windsor Park hotel, escorting them to Windsor town centre to formally meet King Charles and Queen Camilla. The royal couples and the Nigerian leaders will then travel in a carriage procession through Windsor to the castle's quadrangle for a ceremonial welcome with the Guard of Honour.
Security will be tight, with Thames Valley Police implementing extensive measures in the Berkshire town. The occasion takes place amid the deepening Middle East crisis and follows the recent suicide bombings in north-eastern Nigeria's Borno state on Monday, which killed 23 people and injured more than 100. President Tinubu condemned the "evil-minded" terror groups, mourning those who lost their lives and insisting "Nigeria will not succumb to fear." The visit is proceeding as planned, with the couple arriving at Stansted Airport on Tuesday afternoon, met by deputy lieutenant of Essex Mark Bevan on behalf of the King.
Significance and Context
This marks the first state visit to the UK by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, since Queen Elizabeth II welcomed military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida in 1989. It is also the first state visit King Charles has staged since his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of sharing confidential reports with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein amid the ongoing scandal.
During the visit, the King will join the president and first lady in the castle's Vicars' Hall to meet organisations working on interfaith dialogue on Wednesday afternoon. Eid-al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, begins on Thursday evening, when the president and his wife will depart the UK.
Political and Social Dimensions
The visit occurs against a backdrop of escalating security challenges in Nigeria, with attacks perpetrated by jihadists and armed gangs. Earlier this month, suspected Islamist militants abducted more than 100 women and children during an attack in Ngoshe, a mainly Muslim community in Borno. In November, Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped some 200 pupils and staff from a Catholic boarding school, echoing the group's notoriety from the 2014 abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok.
Parliament's all-party group for international freedom of religion or belief has written to development minister Baroness Chapman, calling on the Government to pressure President Tinubu to uphold human rights in Nigeria. The group's chairman, DUP MP Jim Shannon, stated Nigeria needs to "take concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted."
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who is a Christian and an ordained Pentecostal pastor, has described facing personal criticism and threats due to her faith and marriage. She was previously accused of criticising Meghan Markle's choice of outfits during a speech reprimanding young Nigerian women for dressing indecently, though her office insisted she "meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here." This followed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's quasi-royal tour to Nigeria in 2024, after Meghan revealed she was 43% Nigerian following a genealogy test.
Economic and Diplomatic Goals
The Nigerian leader's stay aims to strengthen the UK's position as a global hub for African business. It coincides with the Department for Business and Trade's announcement that hundreds of new jobs are set to be created as Nigerian companies scale up operations in the UK. Among them, Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria's largest financial institutions, opens its Manchester branch on Tuesday, creating 30 new jobs. Financial technology platform LemFi, headquartered in London, is set to invest £100 million over the next five years.
This state visit represents a significant diplomatic engagement, blending tradition with modern adaptations to respect religious observances, while addressing complex security, human rights, and economic issues between the two nations.
