King and Queen Consort will host South African president for first state visit next month

The king and queen consort will make their first state visit to Buckingham Palace next month.

Charles and Camilla welcome South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe from November 22 to 24.

The visit was reportedly in the early stages of planning when the late Queen died.

She met Mr Ramaphosa when he came to London in 2018 for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, and she gave him letters sent to her by former President Nelson Mandela.

The state visit next month will be the first since former US President Donald Trump came to Britain in 2019.

The Emperor of Japan was supposed to come in 2020 but was called off due to the pandemic.

Normally, visiting heads of state would settle at Buckingham Palace, but it’s not clear if this will be possible as major construction work is underway on the monarch’s official London home.

South Africa has long been a member of the Commonwealth, joining in 1931. It left in 1961 to rejoin in 1994. Pictured: The late Queen with President Mbeki of South Africa and the Duke of Edinburgh, in Windsor, during the President’s three-day state visit in 2001

Charles and Camilla welcome South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr. Tshepo Motsepe from November 22 to 24. Pictured King Charles talking to South African models in Cape Town in 2011

The last visiting head of state to stay at Buckingham Palace was King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2018.

President Trump was staying overnight with the US ambassador at his official residence in London when he came to visit – much to the leader’s disappointment.

State visits are a crucial part of the Royal Family’s role in promoting Britain abroad and strengthening international relations. Foreign heads of state are received by the monarch amid much pomp and ceremony, with full military honors and lavish banquets.

The visits are considered a textbook example of the power of the monarchy in the field of ‘soft diplomacy’. All state visits are conducted at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The timing of the trip, which will be scheduled for several months, comes at a difficult time for President Ramaphosa, who faces calls for his ouster.

The former boss of South African spy agency Arthur Fraser has sued Mr Ramaphosa, accusing him of money laundering and bribery to cover up a February 2020 break-in at his game farm.

It is alleged that £3.5 million in illegal US dollars was stolen before the suspects were caught, interrogated and paid off to keep the presence of undeclared foreign currency a secret.

The president, who came to power on an anti-corruption ticket, has confirmed a theft on his farm, but denies doing anything wrong. Law enforcement agencies are investigating. But South Africa’s National Assembly has appointed an independent panel to make a preliminary assessment of whether Ramaphosa should face an impeachment inquiry for alleged misconduct in connection with the theft.

South Africa has been a member of the Commonwealth for a long time, joining in 1931. It left in 1961 to rejoin in 1994.

Buckingham Palace said last night: “The President of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by Dr Tshepo Motsepe, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty the King to pay a state visit.”