Visiting Kate and William The Emir of Qatar has three wives - one enjoys privileges
Standing out fashionably next to Princess Kate - there are certainly easier tasks. Sheika Jawaher, the first wife of the Emir of Qatar, didn't let herself be put off during the state visit to the UK.
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- The Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheika Jawaher, are on a state visit to the UK this week.
- The royal couple were welcomed by the heir to the British throne Prince William and his wife Kate.
- Standing out in fashion alongside the 42-year-old Princess of Wales with her choice of clothes - there are certainly easier tasks.
- However, Sheika Jawaher was not intimidated. The 39-year-old opted for a floor-length beige coat to greet her.
Princess Kate greeted the Emir of Qatar this week as part of her most significant public appearance since beginning her cancer treatment last winter.
Together with husband Prince William, the 42-year-old welcomed Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheika Jawaher, to London on behalf of King Charles III.
Standing out in fashion alongside Kate - there are certainly easier challenges. Sheika Jawaher was not discouraged by this.
Burgundy red for the Emir of Qatar
Princess Kate wore a burgundy outfit for the royal reception. Her husband picked up the color in his tie. Like the Emir of Qatar, he wore a dark suit, while Sheika Jawaher opted for a floor-length beige coat with large gold buttons.
The Emir of Qatar has three wives - as First Lady, 39-year-old Jawaher has a special role. She regularly accompanies her husband to important appointments abroad.
Together, the couple, who married in 2005, have two sons and two daughters. Jawaher comes from an influential family. Her father used to be Qatar's head of government. She is distantly related to her husband - they are second cousins.
In 2009, the sheikh married his second wife Sheikha Al-Anoud bint Mana Al Hajri. Six years later, he married his third wife Noora bint Hathal ad-Dosari. The Emir of Qatar has a total of 13 children with his three wives.
Tamim has ruled Qatar since 2013
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was born in Qatar in 1980 as the son of the then Emir. The small desert state is one of the richest countries in the Gulf region. Qatar has been an absolute monarchy since its declaration of independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. Tamim has ruled the country for eleven years.
Sheika Jawaher last accompanied her husband to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. The royal couple's visit to Spain in the summer of the same year caused even more of a stir, at least in their home country of Qatar.
At the meeting with King Felipe and Letizia of Spain, Sheika Jawaher not only stood out because of her floor-length Chanel coat, but according to the online portal "The Arab Weekly", it was also her first public appearance without a veil.
Human rights groups criticize the state visit
Such an appearance would hardly be possible in Qatar. In the Arab country, women are only allowed to appear fully veiled in public. During the current state visit to the UK, Jawaher joined Kate and William in Europe by appearing without a veil once again.
Human rights groups criticize the state visit of the Emir and his wife. There have been repeated reports of human rights violations in Qatar.
"The King is rolling out the red carpet for the Emir of Qatar despite leading a country where male guardianship and other discriminatory laws against women persist and where LGBT people are discriminated against," Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director of Human Rights Watch, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
This problematic human rights record should have been addressed during the current state visit, Ahmed added.