Prince William Resets His Posture as Windsor Welcomes the Sultan of Oman
On Tuesday 20 October, Prince William was seen shaking out his shoulders and resetting his posture as music began at the official welcome for the Sultan of Oman at Windsor Castle, Hello magazine reported. Hello said he appeared to do it without being prompted. The welcome took place in pouring rain.
The Sultan, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, is on a state visit to the UK. A state visit is the most formal kind of invitation the Royal Household extends to a foreign head of state, with set ceremonies and a programme planned in advance. The Royal Household announced the visit on 3 September 2026, giving its dates as Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 October.
The Royal Household's own page on the welcome says the Sultan was greeted on arrival at Windsor Castle by The Prince of Wales. The King and Queen then hosted him. Hello also reported that King Charles removed his top hat, a tall formal hat, while Oman's national anthem played.
That evening the King and Queen held a state banquet, a formal dinner, in St George's Hall at Windsor. There were 160 guests. BBC News reported that the King praised efforts towards peace in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman, in his speech. The BBC also reported that the King spoke Arabic as he welcomed the Sultan. Hello said the flowers on the banquet table came from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore a gown by the Lebanese designer Elie Saab. She paired it with Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, a diamond headpiece. Hello reported that her gown caught under her chair during the banquet, but that she looked unaffected in later photographs. The Princess of Wales's official Facebook page confirmed that she and Prince William attended the banquet.
Hello reported that the Sultan stayed overnight at Windsor Castle and received a formal farewell from the King and Queen on the Wednesday. The Royal Household's announcement described the Sultan's stay at Windsor as a private element of the visit. The official programme runs until Thursday 22 October.
