According to a Monday announcement from Buckingham Palace, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife, Mrs. Tchibo Motsebe, will travel to the UK under the reign of British King Charles III for the first time since he took the throne in November.
The announcement reads, “His Majesty the King extended an invitation to the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and his wife, Mrs. Tchibo Motsebe, to undertake a state visit to the United Kingdom from November 22–24.
The President’s visit to Buckingham Palace will be hosted by the King, the Queen, and his wife.
Notably, this is King Charles III’s first official visit after taking the throne in September after Elizabeth II’s passing. The visit was announced at a time when the question of the new king’s first formal journey overseas was still up in the air.
King Charles was supposed to travel to Egypt to attend the COP27 international climate summit, but British Prime Minister Liz Truss objected, according to press sources.
Ministers stressed they remained committed to a net-zero emissions target by 2050, but Senior Secretary for Housing and Communities Simon Clark claimed the government and the palace had mutually agreed on the choice.
On the guidance of the State Department, the king arranges state visits with extraordinary pomp and invites dignitaries from all over the world.
It should be mentioned that President Jacob Zuma’s three-day journey to London in 2010 marked the last time a South African leader visited the United Kingdom.
There is no agreement on the subject of affiliation with the British Crown in South Africa, as there is in other Commonwealth nations.
Ramaphosa hailed the “passion and dedication” of a “amazing” queen when she passed away, but some of the young people in his nation chose not to honour her because of the British monarchy’s colonial heritage.
Who was the first president to travel to Britain while King Charles III was in power?
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