From Wednesday, September 20 to Friday, September 22, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are scheduled to make their first official visit to France since their accession to the throne. The visit, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to the violence that accompanied France's adoption of the pension reform. From the forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris to the Senate, via the National Library of France and the vineyards of Bordeaux, their itinerary closed mirrored their original visit. The aim, for both the Elysée Palace and Buckingham Palace, is to showcase the strong bond and friendship between France and the UK to strengthen ties that have been strained by Brexit.
The visit will begin with a rekindling of the flame 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 before the French Senate the following day. This tight schedule also includes a nod to Queen Camilla's interest in literature – she runs an online book club, "The Queen's Reading Room." On Thursday, she will present a new French-British literary prize at the National Library of France in the company of former literature teacher 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 a visit to an organic vineyard, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, near Bordeaux on Friday.
Security is expected to be tight in both Paris and Bordeaux. For security reasons, the King and Queen will travel by plane from London to Paris, then from Paris to Bordeaux. And in the capital of Aquitaine, "there will be a policeman behind every tree," according to the French daily Sud-Ouest, quoting a government official.
"This visit is an honor for France and illustrates the depth of the historic ties between our two countries," according to the Elysée Palace. It "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 to protect biodiversity and combat global warming." According to Buckingham Palace, "The State Visit will highlight the strength of the U.K.’s bilateral relationship with France, demonstrating the many ways the two countries are working together, whether that be to promote and protect biodiversity, combat climate change, strengthen security and defence ties in response to the conflict in Ukraine."
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