The British royal family and its China connections

Prince William kicked off his China tour in Beijing with a packed schedule which included a meeting with President Xi Jinping, a tour to the Forbidden City and a Beijing hutong and launching the China-UK cultural exchange year.

The four-day trip, during which he will also travel to Shanghai and Yunnan, marked the first visit by a senior British royal in close to three decades, and symbolizes a deepening and closer relationship between Britain and China.

Royal visits and exchanges promote bilateral ties

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the Great Wall during the state visit, October 1986. [Photo/CFP]

Queen Elizabeth II

October 12–18, 1986

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, paid a state visit in October 1986, becoming the first British monarch to visit the country. The week-long trip took the royal couple to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Kunming and Guangzhou. Then Chinese President Li Xiannian hosted them. More stories and photos on Queen's 1986 visit

Then governor of Guangdong province Ye Xuanping holds a banquet for Princess Margaret. [Photo/gdwh.com.cn]

Princess Margaret

May 26-27, 1987

Princess Margaret, younger sister of the Queen, visited Guangzhou in May 1987. Then Vice-Premier Li Peng received the Princess and said China-Britain ties were at a historic best period during a welcome banquet.

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are greeted by two Chinese lions as they visit China Town at the start of the Chinese new year celebrations, in London, February 19, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Prince Charles

1997

Prince Charles attended Hong Kong's handover ceremony from Britain on June 30–July 1, 1997, but the Prince of Wales has never come to Chinese mainland.

Britain's Prince Andrew speaks to business leaders during a reception on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 22, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Prince Andrew

2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014

Prince Andrew is the only British royal to have frequently visited China since the turn of the century, but in his role as a trade envoy not a royal. The Duke of York began his business trips to China in April 2004 as Britain's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment and since then has visited at least five times to help build trade and economic links between the countries.

Prince Andrew's latest visit was in October last year having given up his role as a UK trade envoy three years earlier. He visited Beijing for a variety of appointments, including opening a school campus, hosting a technology discussion and meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.