Prince Charles has declined to attend next week’s state banquet in honour of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.
With no explanation from Clarence House as to why he will not be there, or what he is doing instead, the prince’s absence will inevitably be seen a snub.
The prince, who has been highly critical of China’s human rights record, refused to attend a banquet given by the Chinese in honour of the Queen during the visit to the UK in 1999 by one of Mr Xi’s predecessors, Jiang Zemin, because of China’s treatment of Tibet.
The prince is a close friend and admirer of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Charles will, however, meet the Chinese president several times when he arrives next Tuesday and has even invited him to Clarence House.
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Although palace officials are determined to play down any suggestion of a snub and Charles does not attend all state banquets, the absence of the prince at the main ceremonial occasion of the visit will be seen as having a symbolic importance.
Clarence House, while emphasising the prince’s involvement with the visit, refused to say why he would not attend the state banquet or where he would be.
A Buckingham Palace source said: “The prince’s contribution is enormous.” He added: “What he is doing is so much more significant. The quality time of having someone sitting in your sitting room and having a conversation is much more important than sitting at the same table as someone.”
Commentators said that Charles’ refusal to attend the baquet should be seen as a gesture of disapproval rather than an overt snub, as he participates extensively at other points in the visit.
He was acutely embarrassed when a private journal was leaked in which he described the Chinese leadership during the 1997 handover of Hong Kong as “ghastly old waxworks”.
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Charles has made extensive overtures to the Chinese in the UK in recent years and visited Chinatown in Soho for the Chinese new year in February.
The prince will formally welcome the president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel when they arrive on Tuesday. He and the Duchess of Cornwall will then travel with the visitors by carriage to Horse Guards Parade for the ceremonial welcome by the Queen.
After the welcome the prince and the duchess will both be present at the traditional lunch for the president and his wife at Buckingham Palace.
In the afternoon, after addressing members of the Houses of Parliament, the president and Mrs Peng will go to Clarence House to have tea with Charles and Camilla. They will also be invited to view a display by the Prince’s School for Traditional Arts and meet students.
The weight placed by the government on good relations with China could be seen in the visits there by George Osborne last month, the Duke of Cambridge in March and the prime minister in 2013.
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The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, became the first British monarch to pay a state visit to China in 1986 — a tour remembered in Britain, if not in China, for the duke’s infamous “slitty eyes” remark.
Charles heads into republican storm, World, page 36