French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in the UK on Tuesday at the start of a state visit as the two countries highlight their long friendship with conspicuous displays of military pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts.
Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, greeted the Macrons at RAF Northolt outside London. King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, where they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a military guard of honor, says AP. The first day ended with a state banquet at the castle.
The King and French president dined with the Royal Family and some 160 guests, including Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Elton John, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
King Charles said the partnership between the UK and France needed to grow “ever closer” in the face of “profound challenges”, as he hosted Emmanuel Macron at a state banquet at Windsor Castle, reports BBC.
Earlier in the day, Macron told MPs and peers, in a speech in the Houses of Parliament, that the UK, France and Europe should reduce their “excessive dependence on China and the US”.
“We want an open world. We want to co-operate, but not to depend,” he said.
King Charles, speaking in French and English, described the deep cultural, political and historic ties between the two nations before turning to the need for co-operation in facing cross-border threats.
He warned of an uncertain world, with risks of “terrorism, organised crime and cyberattacks”. There would also be “tangible results” from joint efforts to stop illegal migration across the Channel.
That royal trip came after years of sometimes prickly relations strained by Britain’s exit from the European Union and disagreements over the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats.
Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a visit that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbour.
President Macron’s arrival in Britain marks the first state visit by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008, and the first by a European Union political leader since Brexit.
State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government.
The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But the Macrons will stay at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital.