The sovereign is shaking up his state visit style

King Charles and Queen Camilla stand with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his wife Oluremi Tinubu on the Dais during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on March 18, 2026.Credit : Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP via Getty

King Charles topped his latest look with a surprise accessory for the Nigerian state visit.

The King and Queen Camilla formally welcomed Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, first lady Oluremi Tinubu, in Windsor on March 18 to begin the state visit to the U.K.

In a surprise style move, King Charles, 77, wore a top hat with his morning suit, breaking out an accessory that he has not typically previously worn for state visit welcomes.

While it was an unexpected accessory for the state visit, the King has sported top hats before at outings such as Royal Ascot, a warm-weather horse racing event with a strict dress code for guests — even royalty!

King Charles III and President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu attend the ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle on the first day of the State Visit by The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 18, 2026 in Windsor, England.Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty

King Charles’ top hat brought a fresh spin to his usual attire for state visits, which are a key way for Britain to strengthen its relationships with other nations. The current visit from Nigeria is the country’s first state visit to the U.K. since 1989 and the first state visit of 2026 held in the U.K.

While state visits are coordinated through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the British royals are known to pull out all the stops for visiting guests, from ceremonial welcomes to military marchpasts, luncheons, meetings with political leaders and glamorous state banquets.

King Charles and President Tinubu, 73, traveled together in the horse-drawn Australian State Coach from the Royal Dais on Datchet Road, where the formal welcome was held, to Windsor Castle for the Guard of Honor greeting, Royal Salute, playing of the Nigerian and British National Anthems and Guard of Honor inspection.

Cameras captured a notable moment between the King and President Tinubu, 73, who held hands as they left the ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle.

The tactile gesture may have reflected the closeness between the pair, who met on two formal occasions before the state visit, connecting at COP28 in Dubai in November 2023 and again during an audience at Buckingham Palace in September 2024.

President Bola Tinubu and King Charles leave following a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on March 18, 2026.Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP via Getty

After the welcome events, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Tinubu and the first lady toured a special exhibit of items relating to Nigeria from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room of Windsor Castle, which Prince William and Kate Middleton also joined.

From there, the King and Tinubu will have an audience and together visit the Vicars’ Hall, Windsor, where the pair and the first lady will meet organizations working in interfaith dialogue nationally and internationally — key interests of the King — before more programming and a sparkling state banquet at Windsor Castle in the evening.

The welcome for the Nigerian state visit on March 18, 2026.JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP via Getty

Princess Kate, 44, also sported something special for the state visit welcome on March 18, wearing an outfit by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker. King Charles may have tipped his daughter-in-law off to the designer, as he recently attended Coker’s show at London Fashion Week.