King Salman said that Queen Elizabeth was “a model of leadership that will be immortalized in history,” adding: “We remember with appreciation the efforts of the deceased in strengthening relations of friendship and cooperation between our two friendly countries, as well as the high international status that Her Majesty enjoyed throughout the decades during which she assumed the throne of your friendly country.”
For his part, the Crown Prince said that Queen Elizabeth “has spent her life in the service of her country, and was an example to follow in wisdom, love and peace, and the world today remembers the great impact and the great deeds she made throughout her career,” according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Queen Elizabeth had received a number of Saudi kings and princes in the United Kingdom during the seven decades of her reign, the last of whom was Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the following, we review the most prominent visits of Saudi leaders to the woman who has the longest term on the throne in British history.
King Fahd, then a prince, attended the inauguration ceremony of Queen Elizabeth on behalf of his father, King Abdulaziz, in 1953, as he was head of the Saudi delegation that attended the inauguration ceremony, according to the King Abdulaziz Administration.
King Faisal bin Abdulaziz visited Britain in 1967 and was received by Queen Elizabeth. An official reception ceremony was held for him and he visited Buckingham Palace, amid a wide popular welcome, according to video footage published by British media.
Queen Elizabeth received King Khalid in Britain in 1981 on a visit documented by the official website of the British Government Archives. The Associated Press published a video clip that showed the welcome King Khalid and his convoy that crossed the streets of London amid a popular welcome towards Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth visited Saudi Arabia in 1979, where she met a number of Saudi officials, led by King Khalid and Prince Sultan.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz visited the British capital, London, and met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2007.
In 2000, Prince (then) Salman bin Abdulaziz paid a visit to the United Kingdom and attended a luncheon at Buckingham Palace on 28 June of that year.
In March 2018, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Buckingham Palace, at the start of a 3-day visit to Britain.
