King Charles made a historic change to the traditional schedule of events for the Nigerian State Visit to support the diverse religious beliefs of his guests. Rather than hosting a formal lunch following the official welcome and royal collection exhibit, the King has shifted the day’s events to accommodate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is a Muslim observing Ramadan. President Tinunu and many of his entourage are practicing religious fasting during their visit to the UK.
The Nigerian State Visit marks the first state visit from a Muslim head of state in almost a century. In 1928, King George V hosted Afghanistan’s King Amanullah Khan during Ramadan, but there are no records to show whether the Muslim king fasted during the visit. The current state visit from Nigeria marks the first official occurrence that events have been altered to respect the leader’s religious fasting.
