Kate and Prince William back on track? Royal couple welcomes Emir of Qatar amid divorce rumours

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, returned to her royal duties to welcome the emir of Qatar to Britain with husband Prince William on Tuesday.

This comes amid brewing divorce rumors of the royal couple. It also marks one of the few appearances Kate has made since her cancer diagnosis in March.

Visit of emir of Qatar to Britain

William and Kate greeted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in the morning.

The couples then traveled to Horse Guards Parade in central London, where King Charles III formally welcomed the emir and Sheikha Jawaher to Britain at the start of a two-day visit that will include a trip to Westminster Abbey, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Queen Camilla, who pulled out of Tuesday's chilly outdoor events on medical advice, told guests at a palace lunch that she had suffered from a lingering chest infection that was a form of pneumonia, Britain's Press Association reported. She added that she no longer has pneumonia but was suffering from post-viral fatigue.

Despite being smaller than the US state of Connecticut, Qatar possesses the world's third-largest natural gas reserves and is a significant investor in the UK. The Qatari Investment Authority owns the luxury department store Harrods and has substantial holdings in British firms like Barclays Bank and the supermarket chain Sainsbury's.

It has also made considerable investments in London's real estate, including the Shard, which is the tallest building in Western Europe.

On Wednesday, the emir will visit Sandhurst, meeting with some of his former classmates and current Qatari cadets. He will also meet with RAF personnel who are providing advanced training for Qatari air force pilots.

The emir will then travel to the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street for his meeting with Starmer.

Why was Kate enlisted with the task to welcome the emir?

Despite recovery from cancer, and the rumors of trouble in the couple's relationship, the UK government enlisted one of its most popular royals, Kate, to help kick-off the emir's visit to ensure the success of a state visit by the leader of a key ally, highlighting the significance of the gas-rich Gulf state that invests billions in Britain and has been central to ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.

One reason the government and royal family may have asked Kate and William to play a major role in the Qatari state visit is because they have a lot in common with the emir.

All three are in their early 40s and were educated at elite British prep schools. The emir and William are both graduates of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, with the emir going on to serve in the Qatari military and William serving in both the British Army and Royal Air Force.

(With AP inputs)