Kate Middleton Is Going to Extreme Lengths to Avoid Awkward Clash During Nigerian State Visit
The British royal family is preparing for the two-day state visit of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
According to a press release ahead of the visit, “King Charles will host President Tinubu and his wife at Windsor Castle from Wednesday, March 18, to Thursday, March 19. The state visit is the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. President Tinubu is also the first Nigerian leader to be hosted by the British monarch at Windsor Castle … The purpose of this visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and explore avenues for collaboration on issues such as immigration, trade, investment, and cultural exchange.
“While at Windsor Castle, Their Majesties will invite the President and the First Lady to view a special exhibition of items from the Royal Collection related to Nigeria. Later, the King and the President will hold private discussions and meet with organisations engaged in interfaith dialogue, both nationally and internationally. The royal family will host a State Banquet in honour of the Nigerian guests in the evening.”
Now someone who used to work for the royals is revealing just how much goes into the evening banquet of pomp and ceremony, and what the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) and others must be careful to avoid doing.
What Kate and other royal ladies have to be sure of during state visits and banquets
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House.
Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Harrold explained to Showbiz Cheat Sheet that “State visits are planned six to nine months in advance. This includes their outfits. The planning for what Kate and Camilla are going to wear for all aspects of the visit would have been going on for months. They always wear ball gowns for state banquets as they’re such formal events.
“The most important thing is the royal women won’t want to clash with Mrs. Tinubu. Kate and Camilla’s offices will be in touch with her office to find out what color outfit she’s planning to wear. Traditionally, the late queen always wore off-white dresses, and Queen Camilla tends to do the same. But Kate is more modern on this and tends to wear color. Guests normally wear color, so this is where an issue can arise. If two guests wear white or a neutral color, it doesn’t really matter. However, the issue comes in if they’re both in the same shade of blue or something.”
Why the Nigerian president and first lady will be at Windsor Castle instead of Buckingham Palace
As mentioned, President Tinubu will be the first Nigerian leader hosted by a British monarch at Windsor Castle. That’s because Buckingham Palace is still off limits for everyone.
Speaking on behalf of Genting Casino, Princess Diana’s former aide, Paul Burrell, told Showbiz Cheat Sheet: “Buckingham Palace is in a 10-year plan to be refurbished. It’s being rewired, re-plumbed, and refurbished as it hasn’t been upgraded since the turn of the century. Work will continue to disrupt Palace life for the next three years.
“The last phase, which is currently underway, is the queen’s wing, which is the south wing where her late Majesty lived with Prince Philip. The Palace is a mess, and that’s why they’re using Windsor as a backup. Buckingham Palace will be ready again to receive a state visit in 2027.”
