Banquet fit for a Queen... and an Amir

A lavish state banquet for the Amir of Kuwait was held at Windsor Castle, attended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Guests, including David Cameron and George Osborne, dined on poached turbot, Windsor partridge and dark chocolate gateau to a background of music by Bach and a Beatles compilation.

The three-day trip by 83-year-old Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the first state visit from Kuwait in 17 years.

He is staying at Windsor Castle, where he will have a private audience with Prince Charles before attending a meeting of business leaders hosted by Prince Andrew.

In a speech, the Queen spoke of the “enduring ties” between the UK and Kuwait, saying: “Our relationship runs deep,” while the Amir praised Britain for being “confident, creative, multi-racial, tolerant and welcoming to the world”.

The Amir will meet David Cameron today before attending another banquet at Guildhall.