Emir of Qatar prays for King’s health during State Banquet speech….Read More

The King has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer

The Emir of the State of Qatar has prayed for The King’s health during his State Banquet speech at Buckingham Palace this evening.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressed the 150 guests inside the grand Ballroom by saying: “let us pray for the continued health of His Majesty, and to the strength of our alliance and friendship”.

The King has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, discovered after a procedure for an enlarged prostate earlier this year.

The King’s speech during Day One of the State Visit of Qatar was far longer than that of his guest, focusing on the importance of interfaith harmony

Quoting messages of peace from both the Qur’an and Bible, His Majesty said the United Kingdom stands with Qatar in its “commitment to a world where peace and justice prevail over division.”

King Charles said the UK is “proud to be Qatar’s oldest friend in the Western World”, with a shared history dating back over 160 years.

He praised Qatar’s help in supporting evacuations from Afghanistan in 2021, and “keeping the world moving during the darkest days of the pandemic”.

Despite Qatar’s questionable human rights record, The King told His Highness: “Your humanity, vision and leadership matter more than I can say.”

His Majesty spoke of the “climate emergency” and conveyed Britain’s “deepest gratitude for your tireless mediation efforts over the past year in pursuit of peace, against the most unbearable heartache and suffering”.

Qatar has been attempting to mediate an end to the war in Gaza “including efforts to deliver an immediate ceasefire agreed by both sides”, according to the Foreign Office.

In a Piognent nod to the late Queen Elizabeth, The Emir told The King: “Your mother – the late and cherished, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth – told my father that she saw the Qatari people as ‘old and valued friends’ and expressed her hope that the UK would be a ‘home from home’ for them. And it certainly was.”

Sheikh Tamim studied at the British public schools of Sherborne and Harrow, before radiating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.