On a sunny British summer's day in 2013, the path to Windsor Castle was lined with the national flags of both the UAE and the UK fluttering in a gentle breeze.
Thousands of spectators gathered for an auspicious occasion — the first UK state visit by the late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa, and the country's first since the 1989 trip of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
It was the latest in a long tradition of state visits, cementing an enduring relationship between the two nations. Some were old enough to recall Sheikh Zayed's first visit to London as ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1969, when he dined with Queen Elizabeth II and was guest of honour at the Trooping of the Colour ceremony. Others may have recalled his subsequent state visit two decades later.
Scroll through more images of Sheikh Khalifa's 2013 visit below
They would have also remembered the queen's state visits to the UAE in 1979 and 2010, when the two nations reaffirmed the 1971 Treaty of Friendship, aimed at "strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and mutual interest".
Three years later, on April 30, Sheikh Khalifa spent two days in the UK, arriving as the guest of honour at Windsor Palace. Roads in Windsor — a town west of London with fewer than 30,000 residents — were closed, as Sheikh Khalifa arrived at the royal dais outside Windsor and Eton railway station.
At noon, gun salutes were fired from Home Park, as well as the Tower of London 40km away, marking the start of the ceremonies. During the subsequent state reception, both Sheikh Khalifa and the queen delivered speeches, discussing the warm bonds between the two countries.
The queen highlighted a friendship that had endured since "before the foundation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, under the wise guidance and leadership of your late father, Sheikh Zayed". Meanwhile, Sheikh Khalifa described the bond as "deep-rooted and steadfast".
Reflecting on her first visit to the UAE in 1979, the queen added: "Prince Philip and I fondly recall our visit to the UAE in 1979 and more recently when we were delighted to accept your kind invitation to visit again in 2010. We were struck by the warmth of the welcome we received and the generosity of Emirati culture."
Sheikh Khalifa concluded his own speech by stating: "Your majesty: please allow me to express once again my delight with this visit, as well as my confidence in the future prospects of the distinguished bilateral relations between our two friendly nations."
Then-UK ambassador to the UAE Dominic Jermey said the visit was "a significant personal moment in the warm relationship between President Khalifa and the queen, as well as a milestone in the bilateral relationship between our two countries”. Writing in The National, he added: "The affinity between our two countries runs in each other's DNA."
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