biggest bank fraud worth more than $27 billion. ukraine's desire tojoin the nato alliance is once again the focus of discussion as foreign ministers arrive in brussels. hello, i'm lucy hockings, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. in a warning to the lebanese governemnt, been hearing that queen camilla will miss the ceremony. let's

go back outside buckingham palace. that state visit will normally get under way in just a few moments. we just saw a second ago his majesty the king leave buckingham alice to formally greet the royal house and this is —— the royal highnesses the emir and first lady of qatar. the king just leaving his vehicle, and this is where the real state and ceremony gets under way. we expect presentations to be made in the garden and a royal salute in the qatar national anthem played as his majesty

needs a prime minister and the foreign secretary. they meet the emir of qatar and his wife. they met up with the princess and prince of wales. we have special coverage here on bbc news of the state visit of the qatar emir and we arejoined by robert hardman, columnist and author who has written a biography on king charles iii and are watching what the uk does really, really well, the p°mp does really, really well, the pomp and ceremony with the bands playing and we have protocol down.— bands playing and we have protocol down. bands playing and we have rotocol down. . , ., protocol down. that is what you would meet — protocol down. that is what you would expect that _ protocol down. that is what you would expect that britain - protocol down. that is what you would expect that britain doesl would expect that britain does these things very well and here we have the preliminaries and

the lord lieutenant of greater london introducing the king to the reception line who will be there to greet the emir to arrive very shortly. this is the first state visit for keir starmer. he has attended state banquets as leader of the opposition but this time he is in charge and it is the government that invites these heads of state. the monitor provides the backdrop in the trimmings but if the government of the day he decided who comes and receives these great honours. and receives these great honoure— honours. and it is really important _ honours. and it is really important for _ honours. and it is really important for the - honours. and it is really important for the uk . honours. and it is really - important for the uk because the qatari royal family investments are £14 billion. there is a lot for them to look at in terms of their portfolio.

they are very important in this country and it is a very small country and it is a very small country and it is a very small country and they have had more than their share of these state visits because a different emir and a different rain and britain is always keen to show it shows qatar in a very high regard. it shows qatar in a very high reaard. , ., _ regard. there is controversy when it comes _ regard. there is controversy when it comes to _ regard. there is controversy when it comes to qatar - regard. there is controversy i when it comes to qatar human rights but in terms of the images we see right now, robert and i are standing at buckingham palace and watching right now horse guards parade where that ceremonial welcome takes place when they arrived, the emir and his wife. the takes place when they arrived, the emir and his wife.- the emir and his wife. the lot of tenant _ the emir and his wife. the lot of tenant is _ the emir and his wife. the lot of tenant is taking _ the emir and his wife. the lot of tenant is taking the - the emir and his wife. the lot of tenant is taking the king i of tenant is taking the king down the line and these are the heads of the armed forces and heads of the armed forces and he knows them that they are having at catch up on the commission of the metropolitan

police are saying hello and at the end the lord mayor of westminster, and so you get this vip, a short reception line but following the time—honoured tradition, this is what happens. it is very important all state visitors get treated the same whether you are a visitor of president of the united states are china are cut out this is the welcome you get. it are cut out this is the welcome ou net. , , , . , you get. it is very precise with protocol— you get. it is very precise with protocol that - you get. it is very precise with protocol that queen | with protocol that queen camilla is not here, recovering from a lingering chest infection she caught at the beginning of november. her duty in this capacity are slightly altered. ,, . ., , altered. she will certainly -la a altered. she will certainly play a full _ altered. she will certainly play a full part _ altered. she will certainly play a full part at - altered. she will certainly - play a full part at buckingham palace when events get under way but because she's still getting over this chest infection they have taken the sensible precaution of not

coming out and standing around horse guards parade for a good chunk of the morning. we saw this towards the end of the reign of the late queen and the duke of edinburgh stopped accompanying her to some of these events. these things happen and people understand it is life. but happen and people understand it is life. �* ., , is life. but catherine will be here and — is life. but catherine will be here and she _ is life. but catherine will be here and she is _ is life. but catherine will be here and she is right - is life. but catherine will be here and she is right now i is life. but catherine will be i here and she is right now with the prince of wales and west emir and his wife on their way to horse guards parade. the princess and prince are to horse guards parade. the princess and prince— princess and prince are the first greeters _ princess and prince are the first greeters of _ princess and prince are the first greeters of the - princess and prince are the first greeters of the state | first greeters of the state visit seen welcome to britain and hope you're having a lovely time and let me take you to meet the king. they are doing that at the moment. i think we have already had a glimpse of them and it is splendid that them and it is splendid that the princess �*s wedding maroon

which is what the late queen did the last time they came and so much of this is about small gestures during a very long way and they will bring the emir and they will bring the emir and his wife to horse guards and his wife to horse guards and there is this guard of honour and this ritual and when you hear that gun salutes go off that is literally the starting gun of the state visit. ~ ., ., starting gun of the state visit. ~ . ., ., visit. we are waiting for the r0 al visit. we are waiting for the royal highnesses _ visit. we are waiting for the royal highnesses the - visit. we are waiting for the | royal highnesses the prince visit. we are waiting for the - royal highnesses the prince and princess of wales and the emir and his wife to arrive. i believe that william and sheikh are wedding maroon ties —— waiting. ——wearing. this refers

to the flag of qatar since it gained independence in 1971. it is that tiny detail that is so beautifully orchestrated when it comes to these state visits. it is a ruling house, the other family and have this long history with a host of winter and systems of different that at the heart of it this is a bilateral human celebration of diplomatic links between cheerleaders.— diplomatic links between cheerleaders. �* , ., cheerleaders. and their estate still photographs _ cheerleaders. and their estate still photographs i _ cheerleaders. and their estate still photographs i mentioned, that first welcoming delegation robert was mentioning, william and catherine with the emir and his first wife. he has three

widespread protocol as it is his first wife, his second cousin, who escorts him on the state visits. indeed, they have had numerous visits to the united kingdom and were here for the coronation of king charles and in the uk for the funeral of the late queen, elizabeth ii. this is the moment we are waiting for further to royal couples to arrive and that formal greeting by his majesty the king without the queen. because she is still recovering. and then we will have the inspection of the guard of honour. talk it through why that happens and the historical context. it’s through why that happens and the historical context.- the historical context. it's a very important _ the historical context. it's a very important ritual- the historical context. it's a very important ritual were i very important ritual were effectively the monarch is saying here are my best troops and they are here to salute you and they are here to salute you and after we have heard the visitors national anthem which we will expect any minute upon

arrival the king will escort the emir eye to inspect a guard of honour and this is state visitor who has been trained at sandhurst, so if anyone will have a pdi firm and epaulette out of place, there won't be one, but he will definitely know what he is looking at. —— bdi. -- know what he is looking at. —— bdi. —— beady eye. he know what he is looking at. -- bdi. -- beady eye.— bdi. -- beady eye. he was at the independent _ bdi. -- beady eye. he was at the independent school - bdi. -- beady eye. he was at the independent school at - the independent school at dorset and then at harrow and he will understand what to look out for. this is the guard of honour formed out for. this is the guard of honourformed by out for. this is the guard of honour formed by the 1st battalion welsh guards and the band of the royal regiment and the car arrives. the moment he steps out google expect their

qatar national anthem. a symbolic moment that has been choreographed to within a second. the formal ceremonial welcome as the emir is greeted, and his wife, by the king. and there is william and catherine, and we are seeing an important to see her today because she has been recovering and

undergone chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis so this is a significant moment being here today. it so this is a significant moment being here today.— being here today. it very much underlines _ being here today. it very much underlines the _ being here today. it very much underlines the importance - being here today. it very much underlines the importance of l underlines the importance of this visit and this is only the sixth public appearance this year. we last saw her over remembrance weekend at the albert hall and then the cenotaph and i think this goes to the heart of when the monarchy steps up and they are as it were number one horse in diplomatic terms, and it is very important and certainly the qatar delegation will be very impressed she's here today and they all go down the quitting line and the king is doing the introductions now and again some of these vips, some

of the chiefs of the armed forces will be known to the emir enemy. d0 forces will be known to the emir enemy-— forces will be known to the emir enemy. forces will be known to the emir enem . , , ., emir enemy. do stay with us for this special _ emir enemy. do stay with us for this special coverage. _ emir enemy. do stay with us for this special coverage. -- - this special coverage. —— anyway. as we continue to watch this special visit, the first state visit for keir starmer as prime minister and he will want to build on those relations. there is concern about the authoritarian nature of the qatar ruling family and concern about human rights in the country, particularly when it comes to migrant workers there, something arguably the royal family are here to work a sort of diplomacy and persuasion.

the questions of human rights are not brushed under the carpet and are part of the british government having views on these things and will make them clear but won't do that at this juncture. them clear but won't do that at thisjuncture._ thisjuncture. those questions very much _ thisjuncture. those questions very much fundamental- thisjuncture. those questions very much fundamental but i thisjuncture. those questions| very much fundamental but for the time being what we are seeing is the pomp and ceremony and expect the national anthem of qatar. irate and expect the national anthem of qatar. ~ , ., ., ., of qatar. we should hear that in a minute. _ of qatar. we should hear that in a minute. we _ of qatar. we should hear that in a minute. we will- of qatar. we should hear that in a minute. we will hear- of qatar. we should hear that | in a minute. we will hear both national anthems in the next hour that 1522 00:14:39