Paris (dpa) – The British royal couple were welcomed on their state visit to France with a reception ceremony and military honors. French President Emmanuel Macron received Charles III. and Camilla on Wednesday at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, British and French planes drew the national colors of neighboring countries in the Parisian sky.
After the ceremony, Carlos and Macron drove along the Champs-Elysées in an open car and greeted the spectators who had arrived. In the evening, a state banquet awaited the distinguished visitors in the pompous Palace of Versailles.
According to the palace, the British royal couple’s three-day state visit is aimed at celebrating Britain’s relationship with France. Therefore, it is appropriate to emphasize history, culture and shared values. The French presidential palace sees the visit as a sign of the strong ties between France and Britain.
Before their arrival in Paris, the royal couple wrote on platform X, formerly Twitter, that they were looking forward to their stay in Paris and Bordeaux. As king, it is his first state visit to France, “a country for which we both feel the greatest love and admiration.”
Welcome greetings from Macron.
Macron also sent a welcome greeting in advance via X: “You visited as a prince, you will return as a king. Your Majesty, welcome,” he posted, along with a video with photographs of Charles’ previous visits to France. When the royal couple arrived at Orly airport in Paris, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne welcomed the royals with a carpet extended red.
Macron and King Charles III We also want to exchange ideas on current issues during the visit. In addition to British-French relations, the conversation between the two will also focus on the situation in the Sahel and Ukraine. They also want to talk about climate and biodiversity, it was said from Paris.
In the evening, Macron and his wife Brigitte are planning a celebratory state banquet at the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris. More than 150 guests also attended the dinner, including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emma Mackey, Ken Follet, Mick Jagger and Hugh Grant, French media reported. The menu included blue lobster, porcini mushrooms au gratin, and rose macaroni cakes.
Charles and Camilla’s visit, which was already scheduled for March, was postponed at short notice due to strong protests against Macron’s 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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