Prince and Princess of Wales’ Middle Eastern Tour, 1986

~ Saad719

The Prince and Princess of Wales completed a 9-Day Tour of the Middle East on this day in 1986, visiting the Sultanate of Oman, the Emirate of Qatar, the Emirate of Bahrain, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in only the second Royal Tour of the Middle East, which came seven years after the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Tour!

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The Tour began in Oman, where the Prince and Princess of Wales were welcomed by Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, visiting the Omani Women’s Association and the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, as well as watching the Prince play in a Polo Match (getting a forbidden kiss from the Princess as a prize).  At the end of the visit, Sultan Qaboos hosted a Banquet in honour of the Prince and Princess (wearing Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and her Collingwood Pearl Earrings) at the Al Alam Palace in Muscat, before boarding the Royal Yacht Britannia. The Prince of Wales received an Aston Martin while the Princess got her Oman Sapphire Suite as a gift from the Sultan.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales then arrives in Qatar, where they were welcomed by the Qatari Royal Family,  with the Emir hosting a Dinner in honour of the Prince and Princess (in her Qatar Pearl Earrings and Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant) soon after their arrival. The Royal Couple also watched a camel race in the desert near Doha and visited the English Speaking School in Doha.

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In Bahrain, the Prince and Princess of Wales were welcomed by Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa in Manama who hosted a Banquet in honour of the Prince and Princess (wearing the Spencer Tiara, her Qatar Pearl Earrings, and an Emmanuel Gown) at the Royal Palace in Manama, when the Prince presented the insignia of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George to the Emir. More HERE.

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The last stop on the Tour was in Saudi Arabia, where the Prince and Princess attended a traditional Arab coffee ceremony in Riyadh, visited the Equestrian Club and the Masmak Fort in Riyadh, had a picnic in the desert visited, and had Lunch at the Al Hamra Palace in Jeddah before boarding the Royal Yacht Britannia to return to Britain. The highlight was a gender-segregated Banquet hosted by King Fahd in honour of the Prince, and had an Audience with the Princess (wearing Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and her Collingwood Pearl Earrings) before she went to dine with the King’s wives.

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