The state visit to Britain by the Emperor and Empress of Japan will go ahead later this month, Buckingham Palace says.
There was speculation that it would be postponed due to the July 4 general election.
The visit, from June 25 to 27, includes traditional highlights such as a state banquet hosted by the King and a carriage parade along the Mall.
It will be the first state visit in modern times to take place during an election campaign.
State visits take place on the advice of the government, with the King as head of state organizing events.
Such diplomatic showcases typically involve high-ranking politicians, raising questions about whether they would be postponed to avoid overlap with political campaigns. But Emperor Naruhito and Empress MasakoThe visit continues.
Buckingham Palace indicated the visit would be “adjusted” due to the general election, but no specific changes were revealed.
The State Banquet is the centerpiece of such visits, with speeches and, recently, greetings from the King in the language of the visiting dignitaries.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Leader of the Opposition are usually present – even though the visit now falls in the middle of the election campaign.
The state banquet is on June 25 and the BBC live debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer is in Nottingham on June 26.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the attendance of ministers on state visits had not yet been confirmed.
The last time there was a possible clash between an election and a state visit, in 2017, the Spanish king’s visit was rescheduled.
This will be Japan’s first state visit to Britain since 1998, with a visit planned for 2020 canceled due to the Covid pandemic.
Such state visits are a ‘soft power mix’ of pageantry and international politics.
The Japanese royal couple, who represent an important trade and defense partner, can expect the red carpet.
There will be a ceremonial welcome at the Horse Guards Parade, with a guard of honour, and then a carriage procession along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.
During their stay in Britain, the Japanese emperors will visit the Francis Crick Institute, a Young Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition on Japan and the world’s largest collection of wild plant seeds at Kew Gardens.
A visit will be made to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, to lay a wreath at the burial place of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Both Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako studied at the University of Oxford and will visit the colleges where they studied.
While the Japanese state visit continues, the general election has prompted other changes to the king’s agenda, in case the appointments become a “distraction” from the election.
That included postponing a trip to a project in Crewe supporting families in poverty, including providing food and shoes.
Questions have been raised about the timing of the king’s meeting with the new prime minister after the election.
Traditionally, the King spent a week in Scotland in late June and early July, known as ‘Royal Week’ or ‘Holyrood Week’.
If this clashes with the outcome of the July 4 election, it could mean the King has to travel back to Buckingham Palace or the newly elected Prime Minister goes to Scotland.
Once the new government is formed, the King will play a prominent role at the State Opening of Parliament on July 17.
It will be his biggest constitutional role since his cancer diagnosis.
