Earlier in the day, Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and the Duchess of Cornwall greeted President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and escorted them to Horse Guards Parade.

The Chinese president was honored with a gun salute of 103 rounds in unexpected London sunshine at noon as the 89-year-old Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh formally welcomed him and his wife Peng Liyuan at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

Then, as the military band played national anthems of both countries, Xi joined the Queen for a gilded state carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where Xi and Peng will stay during their trip.