Special ceremony for King and Queen's visit

The King and Queen are scheduled to visit Guernsey on 16 July

A schedule of official events for the visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Guernsey next week has been announced.

The King and Queen are scheduled to visit Guernsey on 16 July following a visit to Jersey the previous day.

The States of Guernsey said the royal visit would include a special sitting of the States of Deliberation which will be accessible for the public to watch.

It said the visit would "reaffirm the centuries-old relationship between the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Crown".

Special plaque

They will arrive at St Peter Port seafront on Tuesday morning to preside over the States sitting.

The States said it would be followed by a Ceremony of Homage, a tradition that has historically been observed when the monarch first visits Guernsey.

It said the ceremony would be held in French.

"Historic title-holders, Seigneurs and Dames of small parcels of land known as 'Fiefs', will pay homage to His Majesty," it said.

"After the Ceremony of Homage, Their Majesties will head to the landward end of the Crown Pier to unveil a special plaque commemorating their visit."

The King and Queen on a previous visit to Guernsey in 2012

The King and Queen will then walk down Crown Pier where a "series of demonstrations and stalls will showcase Guernsey's rich heritage".

Crew members of the RNLI and St John Marine Ambulance will be at the demonstration alongside their vessels to meet the King and Queen, the States said.

In the afternoon, the King and Queen are scheduled to visit Les Cotils for a special event with delegations from Sark and Alderney.

The States said it "expected there will be an opportunity to see Their Majesties" on their route to and from Les Cotils.

'Extremely high numbers'

Alderney's delegation, led by the President of the States of Alderney, and Sark's, led by the seigneur, will showcase various aspects of each island's community, culture, history and environmental projects.

The States said the community was invited to witness the activities which would also be broadcast on large screens at the seafront and Cambridge Park as well as online.

"While we look forward to seeing as many people as possible, in the event of extremely high numbers of people attending, it may be necessary to restrict access in order to ensure the safety of all members of the community," it said.

St Peter Port seafront will be closed from 14-16 July.