Paris (dpa) – France has parted ways with King Charles III with music, waving flags and wine. and his wife Camila. The British royal couple mingled with the people of Bordeaux on Friday and even traveled by tram. Both have been in France since Wednesday to celebrate relations between Great Britain and France.
As king, it was Charles’s first state visit to France, a “country for which we both have the greatest love and admiration,” as the royals wrote on X, formerly Twitter. In his speech to the Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament, Charles said: “The United Kingdom will always be one of France’s closest allies and best friends.”
During the visit, Charles focused on his most sincere topic: climate protection. “Just as we stand united against military aggression, we must strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenges: global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature,” he said.
Climate change and biodiversity
Charles called for the alliance between France and Britain to be renewed to address the climate and biodiversity crises more efficiently. In Bordeaux he also wanted to get involved in efforts to combat the effects of the climate crisis on forests. We visited an organic winery with Camilla.
During the state visit, the king also had a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. In addition to Franco-British relations, the two discussed the situation in the Sahel and Ukraine. Macron received Charles and Camilla in a reception ceremony with military honors at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Together with Charles, he toured the Champs-Elysées in an open car. At the pompous Palace of Versailles, he and his wife Brigitte hosted a state banquet with guest stars and exquisite dishes for royalty.
The visit, which was already scheduled for March, was postponed at short notice due to strong protests against pension reform in France. It would have been King Charles’ first state visit. With the rejection, Germany became the king’s first destination after his accession to the throne.
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