After arriving in the UK for their state visit, the French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were warmly welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla who treated their guests to a carriage ride through Winsdor
King Charles and Queen Camilla greet Emmanuel Macron at Windsor Castle
King Charles has treated French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte to a carriage ride through Windsor at the start of their state visit to the UK.
After being formally welcomed to the country at RAF Northolt by the Prince and Princess of Wales earlier today, the Macrons then received the warmest and most tactile of welcomes from the Royal Family, who swapped kisses and affectionate pats on the arm as they greeted one another on the royal dais in Windsor. The King kissed Mrs Macron on the hand, while President Macron kissed Queen Camilla’s hand. The Queen and Mrs Macron, who have met many times before, talked with their heads together like old friends.
The President leaned over to grasp Prince William’s arm as they talked, while the King reached out to the Princess of Wales with a hand as they said hello. The Princess curtseyed to the King twice for good measure, seemingly unsure that he had seen it the first time, and performed the same ritual for the Queen before kissing her on the cheek.
Finally, as the Franco-British introductions wrapped up, William kissed his stepmother Camilla on the cheek, leaning over to avoid knocking her hat. It was the start of a three-day French State Visit, in which the King is hosting the Macrons at Windsor Castle.
During the formal welcome, King Charles could be seen with a bloodshot right eye. Buckingham Palace said that overnight he experienced a burst blood vessel in his right eye, which is said to be unrelated to any other health conditions.
Afterwards, the three couples, who stood side by side for the national anthems of France and the UK, spent a few minutes greeting a line-up of dignitaries before splitting into carriages to ride through Windsor. The King and President Macron sat together in the first carriage, the 1902 State Landau, immediately seen deep in conversation.
The Queen and Mrs Macron followed in the Semi-State Landau behind, looking around them as cheers could be heard in the distance and beginning to wave at those assembling at the side of the road.
The Prince and Princess of Wales sat together in a third carriage, an Ascot Landau, with France’s armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu and French culture minister Rachida Dati. The final two Ascot Landau carriages will carried Helene Duchene, the French ambassador to the UK, and General Fabien Mandon, chief of the military staff.
At one point Camilla appeared to imitate riding a horse, which made Mrs Macron laugh. The Princess of Wales gave a deep curtsy to both the King and Queen and Camilla greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales with a kiss on the cheeck.
William, talking to Macron, appeared to point towards the turret of Windsor Castle in the distance, where they will join their guests for lunch and, later, tonight’s state banquet.
The King and president will both deliver speeches at the state banquet this evening in the medieval St George’s Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room. Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether Kate will attend the banquet.
During his speech, the King will stress the vital partnership between France and the UK in the face of a “multitude of complex threats”. As France and the UK are expected to announce a joint plan on small boat crossings, the King will highlight how “these challenges know no borders”, adding “no fortress can protect us against them this time”.
At a glittering banquet in the historic Berkshire landmark this evening, the monarch will deliver a speech, adding: “as friends and as allies, we face them together”. The King will also tell Mr Macron that Britain and France can help lead the way in confronting threats relating to defence, technology and climate change, saying: “Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world.”
The King, in his toast, will reflect on 1,000 years of “shared history and culture between our two peoples”, including many of the royal family’s personal connections to France. “For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other”, he will say, and reveal how he remains “in awe of France’s extraordinary attributes and achievements”.
