Emperor Honored at Lavish Banquet at City of London’s Guildhall, Lauds Reconfirming of Friendship Ties

By Sho Mizuno / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:53 JST, June 27, 2024

LONDON — The Emperor was the guest of honor at a lavish banquet at the Guildhall in the financial heart of central London known as the City on Wednesday evening, the latest stop on his state visit to Britain.

Prince Edward and finance leaders were among about 650 people in attendance at the banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation. As the Emperor entered the room, he was greeted with a standing ovation.

Following the meal, the Lord Mayor told the Emperor that he was honored to welcome him.

The Emperor then stood up and gave a speech in English, saying he would be happy if this visit to Britain provides an opportunity to reconfirm ties of friendship and goodwill, as well as for passing leadership on to the next generation for solving challenges of mankind.

Earlier in the day, the Emperor was given a tour of the Francis Crick Institute, one of the largest biomedical research institutes in Europe, and visited the Royal College of Music, which is under the patronage of King Charles III.