Charles III has successfully completed his long-awaited journey across the English Channel, arriving in France six months after his initial state visit was postponed due to widespread rioting and strikes. The 74-year-old British monarch, accompanied by Queen Camilla, is set to embark on a three-day trip to Paris and Bordeaux, with the majority of the original itinerary remaining intact from March.
The visit features a series of ceremonial events alongside President Emmanuel Macron, who faced significant opposition due to his unpopular pension reforms that led to the earlier civil unrest. The royal couple, joined by Macron and his wife Brigitte, will be formally welcomed at the iconic Arc de Triomphe, where they will lay wreaths of remembrance before proceeding with a procession along the grand Champs-Élysées avenue.
Among the highlights of the visit is a state banquet at the illustrious Palace of Versailles, located west of Paris and steeped in French royal history, including the notorious republican revolution of 1789. Additionally, Charles is expected to deliver a landmark address, likely in French, to lawmakers at the Senate.
Many of the scheduled engagements revolve around shared interests between the two couples, spanning environmental initiatives, sustainability, literacy promotion, and youth entrepreneurship. The visit also includes meetings with local communities and sports stars in the northern Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, known for its national stadium and as the host city for next year’s Olympic Games.
In Bordeaux, a city once ruled by Charles’s 12th-century ancestor Henry II and still home to a significant British expatriate population, the monarch will tour an organic vineyard and meet with firefighters combating climate-induced wildfires.
The visit is being portrayed on both sides of the Channel as a celebration of the enduring bonds between the United Kingdom and France, as politicians work to mend relations following the contentious Brexit period. Previous UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had often sparred with France on issues ranging from fishing quotas to sausage trade rules, even deploying gunboats to the Channel Islands in a fishing dispute. However, Rishi Sunak, the current Prime Minister, has cultivated a more positive relationship with his French counterpart, emphasizing commonalities such as finance backgrounds and a taste for stylish attire and social media engagement.
While British monarchs traditionally maintain strict political neutrality, politics inevitably play a role in state visits. Charles’s trip serves as a “soft power” follow-up to Sunak’s recent diplomatic efforts, focusing on improving the UK’s international standing.
Royal historian Ed Owens suggests that state visits are a powerful diplomatic tool, transcending contemporary political tensions. Although informal diplomacy is likely to occur, the broader aim is to position Charles as a global advocate for environmental causes.
Despite a year marked by stability and continuity rather than radical reform, this visit represents a “business as usual” approach to royal diplomacy, reinforcing the enduring image of the British monarchy. Charles and Macron have previously met at the king’s coronation and are said to share a warm relationship.
The French president’s tribute to Charles’s mother upon her passing was well-received in the UK, and he extended an open invitation for the new king to visit France. The visit to Germany in March was a substitute for the postponed French visit, where Charles and Camilla traveled to Berlin and Hamburg.