King praises Oman's 'noble efforts' to keep Strait of Hormuz open

King Charles spoke Arabic as he welcomed the Sultan of Oman at a glittering state banquet in Windsor Castle.

Oman is a key Middle Eastern partner of the UK, and one of the countries along the Strait of Hormuz, with the red carpet rolled out for Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said.

The King's banquet speech praised the country's "noble efforts in trying to keep open one of the world's most important shipping routes".

And over a dinner of pheasant and quince, he praised Oman's diplomatic mediation in the conflict with Iran to establish "where common ground might be found".

The King and Queen hosted a state banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan of Oman on his state visit to the UK

The Prince and Princess of Wales were among the senior royals welcoming the Omanis to Windsor alongside the Princess Royal

The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran in February, killing the country's supreme leader and sparking the ongoing Iran war.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping lanes, has been effectively closed since then.

King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Catherine and Princess Anne were among the royals on duty at Windsor for the state visit.

It was the first state banquet for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who was seated next to the Omani academic and novelist, Jokha Alharthi.

It was a table laden with elaborate candelabra and polished decorations, with five glasses per setting, and even the surface of the salt had an imprint of the cypher of King Charles.

The hot summer meant a bumper crop of pomegranates in the Windsor Castle gardens, and the fruits were placed on the table alongside the floral decorations.

The King's speech, delivered to 160 guests in English with some quotes in Arabic, expressed his approval that his son Prince William had worked on an expedition project alongside the Sultan's son.

"There can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next," said the King.

Places were laid for 160 guests with a menu that included pheasant and Cornish crab

Oman is a strategically important Middle East partner for the UK with the Strait of Hormuz close to the Omani coastline

William, and his relationship with the Sultan's son Sayyid Theyazin, were referenced as a point of pride in the King's speech

The King's youngest son, Prince Harry, was not present, as he is not a working royal. But he had stolen some of the attention from the state visit, with the publication of an interview in which he said he wanted to reconcile with his family.

"Some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out. With everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile - that's the key point," Prince Harry told GQ in New York.

There was wine available at the banquet, but with Muslim guests of honour, the traditional banquet cocktail was replaced by a non-alcoholic spiced coffee drink.

The state banquet, served in St George's Hall, offered guests:

Croute of Scottish langoustine and Cornish crab with avocado, tomato consommé, and celery

Stuffed cabbage and braised fondant potatoes in a Dijon mustard sauce

Individual baked Alaska with Balmoral plum and Windsor estate honey ice cream

Guests were served salt imprinted with the King Charles III cypher

Earlier on this grey autumn day, the Omani delegation had been formally welcomed by the King and Queen, before a carriage procession to Windsor Castle.

State visits are a mix of pageantry and politics, with the carefully choreographed hospitality providing an opportunity for talks about business and military links.

During his visit to the UK, the Sultan's delegation will be meeting UK business representatives.

This visit is taking place against the sensitive background of tensions in the Middle East, with Oman facing Iran, on the other side of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

The King's speech emphasised the long partnership between the UK and Oman and the importance of Oman's efforts at bridge building in a time of conflict.

In response, the Sultan had said his country "seeks solutions... we believe in dialogue".

On Wednesday, the Sultan will head to Downing Street for a meeting with the prime minister.

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