King Charles III and Queen Camilla begin a three-day state visit to France on Wednesday. The royal couple, departing from Balmoral in Scotland, was welcomed by Élisabeth Borne.
After an initial postponed meeting, the big day has finally arrived! Charles III, accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, embarks on a solemn and grand three-day state visit to France starting Wednesday. Charles III and Camilla were chauffeured in a burgundy Bentley towards the Arc de Triomphe, where they were expected by Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte, and many French political dignitaries.
The sovereign and Queen Camilla will notably attend a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday, September 20th, in the presence of over 150 guests in the Hall of Mirrors. For their visit, 8,000 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilized.
Back in March, everything had to be canceled at the last minute due to violent protests in France against pension reform. Six months later, calm has returned to the streets of the French capital, and it’s time for the “Entente cordiale,” or Franco-British understanding, which will celebrate its 120th anniversary next April. Despite the earlier postponed meeting in the spring, the program for the 74-year-old British monarch and 76-year-old Queen Camilla hasn’t changed significantly. It includes a mix of strong symbolic engagements and meetings with actors from French civil society.
