Queen exchanges gifts as visit begins

THE Queen and the President of the United Arab Emirates exchanged gifts at the Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi as her state visit got under way.

President Sheikh Khalifa was made a knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, one of Britain's ancient orders of chivalry and awards were also presented to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, and the UAE's prime minister, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and a major figure in the horse racing world.

The sheikhs were both made Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.

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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh received a warm welcome but Prince Philip appeared to be in an irascible mood and on a walkabout when asked by a group of people if he would shake their hands, he said "I've got to get back to work" and walked away.

Further along the line of waving crowds, 11-year-old Jack Morgan, who has lived in the UAE for the last 18 months with his parents, stuck out his hand and asked the Royal for a shake. The Duke replied "Why?" but eventually relented.

The Royal visit also has a political element and Foreign Secretary William Hague joined the Queen's party as part of the coalition Government's efforts to reinvigorate its ties with Gulf states.

Britain's relationship with the UAE was celebrated at an event staged at the exclusive Emirates Palace hotel and attended by the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, Mr Hague and a host of leading Emiratis.

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Lord Foster's futuristic design for the national museum of the United Arab Emirates was also unveiled by the Queen.

The world-renowned architect famed for his use of steel and glass in his iconic buildings showed the monarch his model for the building as she continued her visit to the Gulf.

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