This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.Why the Duchess of Edinburgh Skipped the Nigerian State Banquet

Rachel KingWed, March 18, 2026 at 9:37 PM UTC

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The senior British royals hosted their first state banquet of the year on Wednesday evening, honoring Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. However, while Prince Edward was in attendance for the formal dinner at Windsor Castle, his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, appeared to have missed the event.

Known as one of the hardest working members of the royal family, the Duchess has had a very busy schedule lately. Just last week, Sophie made a quiet visit to New York to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meeting. That was right after traveling to Italy with Prince Edward, where they were supporting British athletes at the 2026 Winter Paralympics. The Duke of Edinburgh has served as patron of the British Paralympic Association since 2003. However, being in Cortina, the couple did miss Commonwealth Day services at Westminster Abbey on Monday with the rest of the senior British royals.

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Prince Edward seen entering St. George’s Hall with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Princess Royal.WPA Pool - Getty Images

This is the first state visit by a Nigerian head-of-state to the United Kingdom in 37 years. The most recent occasion was in 1989 when General Ibrahim Babangida, who took power of the country in 1985 in a bloodless coup, met with Queen Elizabeth during a four-day visit. Today’s state banquet also started later than usual as this was the first time since 1928 that the British royal family has hosted a Muslim head of state during Ramadan.

The Nigerian state visit concludes with tonight’s dinner. King Charles and Queen Camilla—wearing a familiar headpiece, the Belgian Sapphire Tiara—led the traditional procession into the gala dinner with Nigeria’s first couple. Also in attendance were the Princess of Wales in her favorite Lover’s Knot tiara, Princess Anne in the Meander Tiara, and the Duchess of Gloucester in Queen Mary’s Iveagh Tiara.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”