Macron state go to stay: Charles calls on Britain and France to ‘lead the way’ in face of ‘complex threats’ | EUROtoday

The French Tricolor and Britain’s Union flag grasp from the requirements close to Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished.

French president Emmanuel Macron and his spouse, Brigitte, arrived in Britain on Tuesday at first of a state go to as the 2 international locations spotlight their lengthy friendship with conspicuous shows of navy pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts.

The backdrop for day one is Windsor Castle, a royal fortress for over 900 years that is still a working palace as we speak.

Prince William and the Princess of Wales greeted the Macrons at RAF Northolt outdoors London.

King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, the place they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a navy guard of honor. The first day ended with a state banquet on the fortress.

Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a go to that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbor.

That royal journey got here after years of generally prickly relations strained by Britain’s exit from the European Union and disagreements over the rising variety of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats.

President Macron’s arrival in Britain marks the primary state go to by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008.

Just why is it that we by no means see the French first girl, Brigitte Macron, commit a trend fake pas?

How is it that this 72-year-old grandmother can, for instance, pull off black leather-based trousers, actually fairly brief attire, or a swimming costume for a canopy shoot?

With the Macron’s three-day state go to to the UK this week offering one more welcome alternative for scrutiny of Madame Macron’s impeccable wardrobe. With these impossibly toned, shiny bronzed legs, the facility blow-dries and infinite outfit wins she all the time appears to exemplify faultless French stylish.

That has been the British authorities’s hope on earlier events, notably when Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir’s predecessor, visited Paris two years in the past. Each time a deal has appeared shut, however every time Mr Macron has shied away.

The define of the potential deal is thought, and has not been denied by both facet. The thought is that France will permit Britain to return migrants who cross the Channel by small boat, and that Britain will take an equal variety of folks whose utility for asylum within the UK has been accepted at processing centres in France.

The King was seated between Emmanuel Macron and French tradition minister Rachida Dati, whereas Kate – attending her first state banquet in practically two years – was on the opposite facet of the French president and likewise subsequent to artwork historian Christophe Leribault, chairman of the Musee D’Orsay.

The Queen was on the opposite facet of the desk, between Brigitte Macron and French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu.

On the opposite facet of first girl Brigitte was inheritor to the throne William.

Sir Mick Jagger, whose formal white place card learn “Sir Michael Jagger”, was seated between Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Alice Rufo, director normal for worldwide relations and technique of the French ministry for the armed forces.

Sir Elton John, who has extreme imaginative and prescient points after contracting an eye fixed an infection, was seated subsequent to his husband, moderately than aside which is often the customized for {couples} at royal banquets.

On Sir Elton’s different facet was the Duchess of Gloucester, whereas Sir Keir Starmer was subsequent to footballer Mary Earps.

Also making an look was First Dates’ Fred Sirieix, in addition to the French singer Mika, who was sat subsequent to the Duchess of Edinburgh.

In his speech Charles described the UK’s closest continental neighbour as “one of our strongest allies” and mentioned within the face of “complex threats” France and Britain “must help to lead the way”.

The King instructed the friends, who included the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prime Minister and senior members of the Cabinet: “Monsieur le President, the summit that you and the Prime Minister will hold in London this week will deepen our alliance and broaden our partnership still further.

“Our armed forces will co-operate even more closely across the world, including to support Ukraine, as we join together in leading a Coalition of the Willing in defence of liberty and freedom from oppression; in other words, in defence of our shared values.”

He went on to say: “Our security services and police will go further still to protect us against the profound challenges of terrorism, organised crime, cyber attacks and of course irregular migration across the English Channel.

“And our businesses will innovate together, generating growth, trade and investment for our economies and across the world.”

There have been lighter moments throughout the King’s speech too, with Charles joking in regards to the fashionable French cartoon character Asterix the Gaul’s incomprehension about Britons’ love of tea with a splash of milk, and the way dinner friends had drunk “English sparkling wine made by a French Champagne house”.

And he described the “perfect combinations” of French and British – Monet’s work of London fog and Thierry Henry, a former French striker with London soccer membership Arsenal, scoring at Highbury.

The French president even winked on the King when Charles talked about the cultural ties between the UK and France and the way a Frenchman, William the Conqueror, started constructing Windsor Castle greater than 900 years in the past and his son William has made Windsor his dwelling.

Emmanuel Macron has delivered a speech largely in French however in English he spoke about France’s mortgage of the Bayeux Tapestry which is able to go on show on the British Museum subsequent yr.

Speaking on the state banquet at Windsor Castle, he mentioned: “For the first time in 900 years the Bayeux Tapestry will follow the same path as the warriors whose stories it tells and land on British soil.

“Either they were never made or they were lost – those final scenes of the tapestry are missing.

“I see that as (an) even more powerful symbol in the great mural of Franco-British history, the end has yet to be written.”