President Macron to make historic state visit to UK, hosted by King Charles III

Reuters

UK's King Charles III is to host the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to the UK starting on Tuesday, 8th July.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are set to arrive at Windsor Castle on Tuesday for the first official state visit of King Charles III’s reign.

The French leader and his wife will stay at the historic royal residence in Berkshire and will be honoured with a state banquet hosted by the King. The visit highlights the deep diplomatic and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and France.

King Charles and Queen Camilla themselves made a state visit to France in September 2023, further reinforcing bilateral relations. When Charles did visit, he became the first British monarch to address the French Senate, speaking for about 20 minutes mainly in French.

The upcoming visit will also mark the first French state visit to the UK since March 2008, when then-President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife were welcomed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, also at Windsor Castle.

As part of the official programme, President Macron will address members of both Houses of Parliament in a joint session held in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords. The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, will deliver a welcome speech, followed by a response from the Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith.

This high-profile address reflects the importance of Franco-British relations in the post-Brexit era. 

Last Saturday, UK Prime Minister spoke to the President of France Emmanuel Macron and 'both leaders agreeing that the State Visit will provide a historic opportunity to showcase the breadth of the UK-France relationship.'

'Turning to the UK-France Summit on Thursday, they hoped to make good progress across a wide range of our joint priorities including migration, growth, defence and security. They underscored their commitment to delivering progress in the interests of the British and French people,' - said Prime Minister's Office in the statement.

On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron will lay flowers on the grave of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and will tour the gardens.

He will attend Thursday's Franco-British summit, the second since they resumed in 2023 after being suspended due to Brexit, before leaving with his wife later in the day.

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