Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife, Empress Masako, are to pay a state visit to Britain in late June as guests of King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
The announcement comes as the palace revealed that the 75-year-old British monarch would make a limited return to public duties next week, after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by the progress of his treatment for cancer.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said it was “too early to say” how much longer his treatment would continue.
Photo: Imperial Household Agency of Japan via Reuters
However, they said his medical team “remain positive about the king’s continued recovery.”
His first engagement with Queen Camilla would be to a cancer treatment center on Tuesday.
“The pacing of the king’s program will be carefully calibrated as his recovery continues, in close consultation with his medical team,” the spokesperson said.
Charles and Camilla will host the Emperor and his wife at Buckingham Palace, the announcement said, adding that no further details of the visit had been finalized to allow for possible modifications to minimize any risks to the king’s recovery.
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun daily last month reported that Naruhito and Masako would attend a luncheon with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and might visit Oxford University, where the emperor and his wife studied before their 1993 marriage.
The imperial couple last visited the UK in 2022 to attend the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth. They also attended the reception the king hosted at Buckingham Palace the evening before the funeral for heads of state and official overseas guests.
The visit by Japan’s royals would be the couple’s second international goodwill trip abroad since the Emperor’s enthronement. They visited Indonesia last year.
King Charles has not disclosed the exact type of cancer he is suffering from.
“His Majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise,” the palace spokesperson said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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