Udo historic visit. King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, will travel to France and then to Germany from March 26 to 31 for their first state visits, in order to “celebrate their relationship”, the Elysée announced on Friday, which sees it as an illustration. of “the depth of historical ties” between the two countries.
This visit, “an honor done to France”, “also symbolizes the relationship of friendship and trust between” Emmanuel Macron and Charles III, argued the French presidency. Mr. Macron will preside over a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles on March 27, in honor of Charles III and Queen Consort, Camilla.
This trip, dominated by environmental issues, is their first abroad since Charles, 74, became king on September 8. As crown prince, he has already made 34 official visits to France and 28 to Germany.
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” The opportunity to look to the future »
“This visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“It will also provide an opportunity to look to the future and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany,” the Palace continued, citing in particular the fight against global warming. and the response to the conflict in Ukraine.
Charles III, who speaks French, and Camilla will be in France from March 26 to 29. In Paris, they will participate with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, in a ceremony of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe.
A visit to the southwest of France
The King will deliver a speech in the Senate. A state banquet is planned at the Palace of Versailles in their honor on March 27. On March 28, Charles and Camilla will travel to Bordeaux, in the South West. The king will travel to areas devastated by fires last summer and visit an organic vineyard.
“This state visit, the sovereign’s first before his coronation, is an honor done to France and illustrates the depth of the historical ties that unite our two countries,” said the Elysée. “It also 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”, it is added. .
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Refugees and green technologies
In Germany, from March 29 to 31, the royal couple will travel to Berlin and then to Hamburg. Charles III will deliver a speech in the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament. He will meet refugees who have recently arrived from Ukraine. In Hamburg, the king, passionate about sustainable development, will discuss green technologies.
Charles III’s first state visits will take place a few weeks before his coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. They will take place a few days after the first visit to France by the head of the British government Rishi Sunak, on March 10. Charles’ last visit to France, as crown prince, dates back to 2019: he attended a mass at Bayeux Cathedral to mark the 75e anniversary of the Normandy landings.
This visit was qualified by the Times as an “attempt to build bridges with Britain’s post-Brexit European neighbours”.
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The Queen’s Shadow
Elizabeth II, Charles’s mother, who was a Francophone and Francophile, made five state visits to France during her reign, in addition to numerous private visits. After her death, President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the monarch, described as a “very close ally”. “With her, France and the United Kingdom shared […] a warm, sincere and loyal partnership”.
His last state visit to France was in 2014, for the 70e anniversary of the landing. On the beaches of Normandy, she had gathered alongside 1,800 veterans and 18 heads of state and government, including the American and Russian presidents, Barack Obama and Vladimir Poutine. Elizabeth II’s last visit to Germany in 2015, under Angela Merkel, sparked great enthusiasm in the country. With her husband, Prince Philip, she had visited the former Nazi concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen, in the north of the country.
The monarch’s most significant visit to Germany dates back to 1965, seen as the moment that sealed the reconciliation between the two countries after World War II. On the death of Elizabeth II, Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid tribute to the queen, calling her “a symbol of reconciliation”.