President Macron heads to UK for first state visit for 17 years
President and Mrs Macron will lay flowers on the tomb of the late Queen during visit
President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron will visit London and Windsor
Frederic Legrand - COMEO/Shutterstock.
President Macron and Mrs Macron are heading to London and Windsor next week for the first official state visit to the UK since 2008 – combined with a summit about French and UK interests.
On arrival, they will be welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales on behalf of King Charles, at RAF Northolt in north-west London.
During the state visit, from July 8 to 10, the presidential couple will join King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle. The ‘summit’ element will happen at Downing Street on July 10.
State visits are rare, and the previous one was in March 2008, when President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Queen Elizabeth II. This will be the first state visit by a European head of state in King Charles’ reign.
British Ambassador to France Dame Menna Rawlings said during a press briefing today: “The state visit and summit will be an important moment in the context of the UK-France relationship, showing the very close links that unite our two countries.
“We share a unique friendship and interlinked history, and deep links between our two peoples, businesses and communities.
“It comes as we are opening a new chapter in our bilateral and European relations underlined by the results of the first UK-EU summit which took place in May.”
The aims will include closer defence and security links, and supporting the competitiveness and growth of the two economies, she said.
In terms of ‘people to people’ links, Dame Menna said we can expect to see new cultural collaborations helping the French and British to celebrate our shared history.
Among the highlights of the visit will be:
On Tuesday July 8
A carriage procession through Windsor to the castle
A viewing by President and Mrs Macron of a special exhibition of items relating to France, from the Royal Collection
A visit to Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior
A speech by President Macron at the Palace of Westminster and a meeting with MPs and lords
Meetings with political leaders at Lancaster House
A state banquet at Windsor Castle
Wednesday July 9
The presidential couple will visit St George’s Chapel, Windsor to lay flowers on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
They will also view a charabanc carriage from the Royal Mews which was given to Queen Victoria by the French king Louis Philippe 1 in 1844 and will see a horse, Fabuleu de Maucour, given by President Macron to the late Queen on her Platinum Jubilee.
Lunch at 10 Downing Street
A banquet at the City of London Guildhall
Thursday July 10
