China's glamorous First Lady steals the show as the Queen welcomes president Xi Jinping to Buckingham Palace at start of spectacular state visit

The Queen was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh as she officially welcomed Chinese president Xi Jinping to London to mark the start of his four-day state visit to the UK. The royals met Mr Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan (inset), at Horse Guards Parade, where the visitors were introduced to a host of dignitaries including David Cameron. The royal party were then escorted by thousands of troops as they travelled in a ceremonial carriage up the Mall (left) towards Buckingham Palace. The route was lined by pro-Beijing supporters as well as rival groups from Amnesty International, who were protesting China's human rights record.