Decades of friendship: Chinese leaders and British royals

President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from Oct 19 to 23 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II. This will be the first official visit by Chinese President over the past 10 years and the friendship of Chinese leaders and British royals spans generations.

President Xi Jinping meets with Britain's Prince William at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 2, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Prince William's trip in March marked the highest-profile royal visit to China since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip traveled to the country.

The second-in-line to the throne was on a three-day trip to China on behalf of the UK government to open a festival celebrating British creativity and innovation, the first major event in a year of cultural exchange between the countries.