Muscat: Queen Elizabeth II on Friday visited a painting exhibition held at the Al Alam Palace as part of the 40th National Day Celebrations.
Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed accompanied the British Queen to the exhibition titled -The Art of Seeing Nature -Masterpieces from Tate Britain.
The exhibition, being organised by the British Council, includes a number of art paintings for some British renowned artists during the period from the 18th to the 20th century, namely Thomas Gainsborough, George Stubbs, John Constable, J.M.W Turner, John Everett Millais and John Singer Sargent.
The Omani leader expressed his joy at the superb quality of the displayed items which depict the splendid landscape in Britain and the Middle East.
Earlier, Queen Elizabeth II was accorded an official welcome.
The Head of the Commonwealth was welcomed by Sultan Qaboos. Syed Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, Syed Ali Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, General Ali Bin Majid Al Ma'amari, Minister of the Royal Office, Syedd Badr Bin Saud Bin Harib Al Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, Syed Saud Bin Ebrahim Al Busaidi, Interior Minister, Yousef Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdullah Bin Zaher Al Hinai, Minister of Justice, also welcomed the Queen.
Sultan Qaboos and Queen Elizabeth II then took the main car to the Al Alam Palace Guest House court. A group of horsemen escorted the motorcade from Muscat Gate up to the Al Alam Palace gate while passing the military music bands, the Royal cavalry music which lined up on both sides of the road between the reception building and Muscat gate museum.
Upon the arrival at the Al Alam Palace Guest House court, His Majesty the Sultan accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to the dais of honour where the National Anthem of the UK was played while the artillery fired a twenty-one gun salute.
Later, the two monarchs took coffee and exchanged conversation on the historical relations binding the two friendly countries, aspects of the existing close cooperation between the two sides in all fields that serve the common interest of both the Omani and British people.
