2023-09-20 05:15:03
King Charles III and Queen Camilla, near Balmoral (Scotland), September 8, 2023, on the first anniversary of the death of the king’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II. ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are making, from Wednesday September 20 to Friday September 22, their first official visit to France since their accession to the throne, the same one initially planned for March but which was postponed because of the violence which accompanied the adoption of the pension reform. From the square of Notre-Dame de Paris to the Senate, via the National Library of France and the vineyards of Bordeaux, their program was largely modeled on what was originally imagined. The goal, for the Elysée as for Buckingham Palace, is to showcase the proximity and friendship between France and the United Kingdom to strengthen ties weakened by Brexit.
The visit will begin with a flame rekindling ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe on Wednesday afternoon. There will be a state dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and a speech by the king to parliamentarians in the Senate the next day. Included in this tight schedule is a nod to Queen Camilla’s interest in literature – she hosts an online reading club, “The Queen’s Reading Room”. On Thursday, she will present a new Franco-British literary prize at the National Library of France in the company of former literature professor Brigitte Macron. The king’s long-standing interest in the environment will also be in the spotlight, with a round table on biodiversity at the National Museum of Natural History on Thursday and, near Bordeaux on Friday, a visit to an organic vineyard, castle Smith Haut Lafitte, a grand cru from Pessac-Léognan.
The security system should be important, in Paris as in Bordeaux. For security reasons, the King and Queen will travel by plane from London to Paris, then from Paris to Bordeaux. And, in the Aquitaine capital, “there will be a policeman behind every tree”according to the daily South Westwho quotes a French official.
Celebrating the links between France and the United Kingdom
“This visit is an honor to France and illustrates the depth of the historical ties uniting our two countries”, according to the Elysée. She “symbolizes the relationship of friendship and trust between the President of the Republic and His Majesty the King, who have in the past worked closely together for the protection of biodiversity and the fight against global warming.” Selon Buckingham Palace, “The state visit will highlight the strength of the bilateral relationship between the UK and France, demonstrating the many ways in which the two countries work together, from promoting and protecting biodiversity to tackling against climate change or to strengthen security and defense ties in response to the conflict in Ukraine ».
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