Alert – Royals LIVE: Latest updates as Kate plays significant role in Qatar state visit alongside Prince William as couple greet Emir and wife while Queen Camilla scales back duties to leave King on his own at welcome ceremony

Here’s our live stream of the first day of the Qatar state visit with King Charles, Prince William and the Princess of Wales welcoming Qatari royals to the UK.

We will continue to bring you live updates from the ceremonial welcome.

The King has now arrived at Horse Guards Parade.

The Guard of Honour gives a Royal Salute and national anthem God Save The King is played.

At the Royal Pavilion His Majesty is received by Sir Kenneth Olisa, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Greater London.

The Silver Stick in Waiting, Brigadier Mark Berry, and the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, Colonel Guy Stone, are present.

The Princess of Wales greeted the Emir of Qatar today as she carried out her most significant public engagement since starting cancer treatment.

Kate and her husband Prince William welcomed Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher, on behalf of King Charles III.

The Princess was earlier seen travelling in the back of a car with William in London, while Princess Anne was also photographed arriving at Buckingham Palace.

Kate is carrying out even more royal duties than previously planned at today’s state visit in London amid what is being seen as a ‘positive sign’ in royal circles.

She will also take part in the official ceremony welcome on Horse Guards Parade and a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace.

• Read the full story here

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has arrived at Horse Guards Parade to attend the ceremonial welcome of the Qatar state visit.

He was joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and will later attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Starmer will then meet the Emir for bilateral talks in Downing Street tomorrow.

Soldiers have formed a Guard of Honour on Horse Guards Parade ahead of the state visit.

The guard is formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, with The King’s Colour, under the command of Major Rhydian Emyln-Williams, Welsh Guards, with the Band of the Regiment.

After the national anthems are played, the King will invite the Emir to inspect the soldiers as is tradition during a ceremonial welcome.

Princess Anne has also been pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace to await the arrival of the Emir of Qatar on the first day of his state visit to the UK.

King Charles will meet the Emir and his wife in London before a procession back to the palace.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have greeted the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher in London on behalf of the King.

It was Kate’s first appearance at a state visit since her cancer diagnosis.

She was pictured smiling in a fitted burgundy coat and hat alongside William and the VIP guests inside the residence in London.

Kate, wearing a pearl necklace and with her hair in a low chignon, was seen in conversation with Sheikha Jawaher.

The royal party will make their way to Horse Guards Parade by car for the traditional ceremonial welcome where they will be met by the King, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other senior government figures.

We’ve just seen the first picture of Kate and Prince William as the couple prepare to welcome the Qatari royals to the UK at the start of the state visit.

Today marks the Princess of Wales’ most siginificant return to her engagements following cancer treatment earlier this year.

Here’s our story on Queen Camilla pulling out of today’s ceremonial welcome as she continues to battle a ‘nasty’ chest infection.

Police officers are patrolling The Mall near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Qatar State Visit.

The Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will be bringing his first wife – and second cousin – Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, with him on the visit.

The couple landed in the UK at London Stansted Airport yesterday where they were greeted on behalf of the sovereign by the Lord in Waiting, The Viscount Hood.

Today they will be officially welcomed by William and Kate at their residence, before being escorted to Horse Guards Parade where the King will be waiting for an impressive ceremonial welcome.

National anthems will be played and the Emir invited to inspect a Guard of Honour.

The royal party will then return in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace for a private lunch followed by an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection Trust and Turquoise Mountain charity relating to Qatar.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will meet Qatar’s Emir tomorrow as he seeks to tie up long-running talks on a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which compromises countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Britain’s Business and Trade Department estimates a free trade deal with the GCC could boost the UK economy by £1.6 billion over the long run.

The wealthy Gulf nation has several investments in Britain, with the state’s sovereign wealth fund, The Qatar Investment Authority, owning stakes in Barclays, Sainsbury’s, Canary Wharf and others.

The bilateral meeting with Starmer is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 10 Downing Street. Starmer is also expected to travel to the Gulf region this month.

The Princess of Wales will today make her biggest return to royal duties so far after her cancer treatment as she joins a ceremonial welcome for the Qatar state visit.

But Queen Camilla has been forced to scale back her involvement due to ill health as the Emir of Qatar begins a two-day visit to the UK hosted by the King in London.

Charles will welcome Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher, during a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in Whitehall.

Kate, 42, will now undertake even more royal duties than previously planned during the state visit in what has been described as a ‘positive sign’ in royal circles.

She will take part in the official welcome on Horse Guards Parade and a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, before attending a private lunch,

• Read the full story by Mark Duell and Rebecca English here

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year as they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t received an invitation to the royals’ Christmas at Sandringham, it has been reported.

They are expected to spend the festive holidays in America instead with their children Archie and Lilibet.

Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, haven’t spent Christmas with the Royal Family in the UK for six years.

They were also not invited to Trooping the Colour in June of this year for the King’s birthday/

Prince William, Kate, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are set to spend Christmas at Sandringham.

• Read the full story by Emily Davies here

The Prince and Princess of Wales have sent a message of support to Kevin Sinfield – who is this week taking part in a gruelling charity challenge for his beloved late friend Rob Burrow.

Prince William took to social media to film a heartwarming clip from him and Kate Middleton, as he wished The England rugby union coach ‘good luck’.

Kevin will run seven ultramarathons across seven cities in seven successive days, setting off for his fifth annual fundraiser for motor neurone disease causes today. It is his first since his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob died of MND in June.

‘Kevin Catherine and I just want to wish you the very best of luck for what’s going to be a very gruelling week raising money and awareness around MND,’ William said in the video, shared on X.

‘What you and rob have achieved has been incredible. It’s a very fitting tribute to his legacy, what you’re achieving again this week.

‘I’m sure you’ll be running with him in your mind the whole way round, so the very best of luck from Catherine and I. We’ll be thinking of you all week. Good luck.’

• Read Elmira Tanatarova's story here

The Princess of Wales has shared a behind-the-scenes video from the festive prep taking place ahead of her annual Christmas carol service this week.

Taking to social media, the royal’s X account with Prince William revealed a clip featuring invites being printed and prepped for the event.

Two weeks ago Kensington Palace announced that the Princess will host the Together At Christmas concert on December 6 with performances from Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.

Footage showed the piece of paper being packaged into an envelope and sent away via mailbox.

‘Invites are well on their way ahead of our Together at Christmas Carol Service!’ the caption read, while a seasonal jingle played in the background.

• Read Elmira Tanatarova's story here

The Royal Family’s official X account has posted a video explaining what happens during a state visit to the UK ahead of welcoming Qatar on a two-day trip starting today.

The clip tells people why visits are organised and what happens when it is carried out.

LGBT campaigners will protest outside Buckingham Palace against the Qatar state visit this morning over what is described as a ‘homophobic dictatorship’

The Peter Tatchell Foundation said will demonstrate when the Emir arrives in the State Coach.

Pliny Soocoormanee, Executive Officer of Peter Tatchell Foundation, said:

Qatar is a homophobic, sexist dictatorship where basic human rights are trampled on. LGBTQ+ people face persecution, imprisonment and even the death penalty. Women continue to be treated as second-class citizens. This is not a regime to be celebrated or given the honour of a State Visit.

By turning up, we send a powerful message: Britain must not turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses carried out by the Qatari regime. Silence in the face of oppression is complicity.

These pictures show the moment the Emir of Qatar touched down at Stansted Airport on Monday ahead of the country’s UK state visit.

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Sheikha Jawaher, arrive at Stansted Airport

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has reigned since 2013

His wife Sheikha Jawaher watches on as they are driven away from the airport

Members of the RAF attended the arrival in Essex

Queen Camilla will be absent from some of today’s state visit as she is still suffering from the ‘lingering’ side effects of a ‘nasty viral chest infection’.

Her diagnosis was first announced on November 5 when it emerged that she had been forced to pull out of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, followed by other events over the weekend, including the Cenotaph, to honour the nation’s war dead.

As the daughter of a twice-decorated World War Two veteran such duties are taken very seriously by the Queen and her absence was a sign of how poorly she was feeling, sources close to the Camilla told the Mail.

She has undertaken several public engagements since then, including the annual diplomatic reception, but has sometimes curtailed her time spent in public.

At a reception to honour the UK’s film and television industry last month the Queen discreetly coughed several times during her shortened appearance and gratefully sipped on a glass of water, saying she had felt ‘absolutely rotten’ last week but was definitely ‘on the mend’.

Sources have stressed there has been ‘no alteration’ in any diagnosis or treatment being received, stressing Her Majesty just needs time to ‘rest and recover fully, which is more challenging with a back-to back diary programme such as the State Visit’.

No substantial changes to her other diary commitments are expected the rest of the week, though each day is being taken as it comes.

Royal-watchers will be delighted at the news that Catherine is taking a further step forward as part of her staggered return to full-time royal duties.

In September she spoke of her ‘relief’ at having finally completed her chemotherapy treatment, but stressed that the last nine months had been ‘incredibly tough’ for them as a family.

She was first admitted to hospital in January for what has only been described as major abdominal surgery.

However afterwards doctors found evidence that cancer had been present and recommended a course of preventative chemotherapy.

The couple chose to keep the news private for several weeks in order to come to terms with the news and protect their children, before the princess bravely went public with her diagnosis in March.

Talking of the ‘complex, scary and unpredictable nature’ of cancer journeys, Catherine said recently that doing what she could to ‘stay cancer free is now my focus’ and emphasised that her path to full recovery would be ‘long’.

The princess said she would undertake a few more public engagements in the coming months when she could but stressed that her focus would remain on her continued recovery and her young family.

• Read our timeline of Kate's road to recovery here

The Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani landed in the UK at Stansted Airport on Monday alongside his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani.

They were greeted on behalf of the sovereign by the Lord in Waiting, The Viscount Hood.

Later today they will be officially welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales at their residence, before being escorted to Horse Guards Parade where the King and Queen Camilla will be waiting for an impressive ceremonial welcome.

National anthems will be played and the Emir invited to inspect a Guard of Honour.

The royal party will then return in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace for a private lunch followed by an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection Trust and Turquoise Mountain charity relating to Qatar.

Prince William will later receive the Emir at Kensington Palace before the evening’s State Banquet, which he will attend but not his wife.

The princess has attended a number of high profile events such as Trooping the Colour, Remembrance Sunday and Wimbledon over the last eleven months since she effectively withdrew from public life to focus on her health.

Senior Qatari diplomats have told the Mail that they are ‘deeply honoured’ the King has chosen their country as the first Middle Eastern state to be invited for a full state visit to the UK since Charles’ accession.

The country enjoys a good relationship with the UK diplomatically, with the Emir, 44, having studied in Britain – first at Sherborne and then Harrow – followed by a stint at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

There remains great admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth, and King Charles has met with the Emir on several occasions.

The two countries also have strong trade, cultural and military links, and Qatar is a major investor in the UK, not just through property and construction projects, but in science and technology.

However concerns have been raised about the authoritarian nature of the Qatari ruling family and human rights, particularly as regards migrant workers.

The Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will be bringing his first wife -and second cousin – Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, with him on the visit.

She is the mother of four of his 13 children and normally accompanies him on official visits abroad. He also has two subsequent spouses.

Queen Camilla is being forced to scale back her appearance at today’s State Visit by the Emir of Qatar as she is still suffering from the ‘lingering’ side effects of a ‘nasty viral chest infection’.

The 77-year-old royal – who first fell ill at the beginning of November – is said to be feeling particularly ‘fatigued’ and has pulled out of the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade on doctor’s advice.

However she will still attend a lunch to honour the Qatari ruler and his wife at Buckingham Palace and will attend most elements of the State Banquet in the evening.

So as not to exhaust her, she will greet their VIP guests and pose for photographs before retiring during a lengthy receiving line but then join the dinner itself.

Sources were stressing there was no cause for alarm, describing her as having had a ‘nasty viral chest infection’ which continues to ‘have some lingering side effects, in particular leaving Her Majesty with significantly diminished reserves of energy.’

As a result, they said, her doctors have advised some ‘tweaks’ to her programme.

Catherine, 42, will undertake her most significant public engagement since she began cancer treatment as she welcomes the Emir of Qatar to London on behalf of the King.

She will also take part in an official welcome on Horse Guards and a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace.

And it has now been confirmed that she also will join the royal party for a private lunch at the monarch’s official residence and stay to view a display of priceless Qatari artefacts from the Royal Collection afterwards.

The only aspect of the day she will miss will be tonight’s glittering State Banquet.

A royal source described the announcement of her attendance as ‘good news’ as the princess continues with her a slow and measured return to public life after the completion of her preventative chemotherapy treatment.

Catherine announced in March that she had embarked on a gruelling course of cancer treatment after doctors found evidence of the disease following major abdominal surgery in January.

In September she revealed that this had now been completed but warned that it would take time and patience for her to return to full-time royal duties as she continued on her slow road to recovery.