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Few images encapsulate British tradition and influence quite like the King and Queen’s carriage procession through Windsor. On Tuesday, they will be joined by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron for the first state visit by a French president since 2008, and the first by a European Union leader since Brexit.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will also be in attendance, with a Royal Salute and inspection of a guard of honour for President Macron. However, against a backdrop of European uncertainty, this three-day visit to Windsor and London signifies more than just ceremonial display.
There is palpable anticipation that the visit will foster meaningful progress between the two nations.
President Macron is scheduled to address members of parliament at Westminster, followed by a state banquet at Windsor. The visit will culminate in a UK-France summit, co-chaired by Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron, aimed at achieving an accord on the return of irregular migrants.
Additionally, they will host Ukraine’s leader via video conference to discuss ongoing military aid.
A key question remains: How closely can the two countries align, and can they overcome any lingering post-Brexit distrust?
Given the ceremonial aspects of the visit, which includes events in Windsor’s streets, the Castle grounds, and the Palace of Westminster’s Royal Gallery, how significant is King Charles III’s role in facilitating this diplomacy?
Recent efforts have already been made to improve relations, with the UK and EU agreeing to a “reset” in London less than two months ago. Ties with France have seen notable improvement, driven by both personal rapport and strategic considerations.
The two countries share common ground as nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Both nations are also seeking to modernize the 15-year-old Lancaster House treaties, which established a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) of 10,000 personnel. Recent efforts have focused on broadening the CJEF to include other NATO and European countries.
“It has always been a unique partnership,” notes Sylvie Bermann, former French ambassador to the UK. “I think this partnership will be crucial in the future.”
These developments will likely be closely watched by US President Donald Trump, who has also been promised a second state visit to the UK, potentially in September.
King Charles, 76, has already demonstrated his diplomatic skills this year.
President Macron was the first European leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House in February. However, it was Prime Minister Starmer who later secured attention by delivering a personal invitation from the King.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Europe after a meeting with Trump in February, King Charles welcomed him to Sandringham and again at Windsor in June.
The King has previously expressed admiration for the heroism of Ukrainians amidst “indescribable aggression.”
Even prior to his ascension to the throne, King Charles accumulated extensive experience in international affairs and is fluent in French. At age 21, he attended the 1970 funeral of Charles de Gaulle.
He became the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history and now, as King, holds weekly meetings with the prime minister. “The choreography is a strange dance, I suspect, between Number Ten and the Palace,” observes royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
“There’s no doubt at all that Charles is considerably more than a figurehead.”
Windsor Castle, dating back to William the Conqueror, has previously hosted French presidents. The presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales in welcoming the Macrons holds quiet significance, as Princess Catherine continues her cancer treatment recovery.
Both King Charles and President Macron have played crucial roles in resetting relations between their countries and, by extension, with the European Union.
Marc Roche, a columnist for French media, describes the King as a francophile with a long-standing positive relationship with France.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, King Charles and Queen Camilla chose France for their first state visit in September 2023.
In 2022, President Macron noted that the late Queen had visited the Élysée Palace six times, more than any other foreign sovereign, which was warmly received in the UK.
The King received a standing ovation after addressing the Senate in French, and the Queen played table tennis with Brigitte Macron at a sports center. France’s first lady later visited her in London for a cross-Channel book award.
These gestures followed a period of strained Franco-British relations.
The atmosphere had soured during Brexit negotiations, which the French president described as based on a lie.
Four years ago, Australia canceled a deal to buy 12 French submarines, opting instead for a defense pact with the UK and US, prompting the French foreign minister to call it a “stab in the back.”
Then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded by telling the French to “prenez un grip” and “donnez-moi un break”.
President Macron proposed the European Political Community (EPC) in 2022, bringing the UK into a broad alliance of countries responding to Russia’s invasion.
In 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aimed to move past the strained relations at a Franco-British summit in Paris.
British and French prime ministers have since changed: the UK had three in 2022, and France has had four since. Prime Minister Starmer’s team organized last year’s EPC summit at Blenheim, which Starmer chaired.
Sébastien Maillard, who advised the French presidency on the EPC’s establishment, believes there remains a lack of trust on both sides, adding that the memory of these difficult times has not vanished.
“Trust needs time to build, and perhaps the Russian threat, support for Ukraine, and how to handle Trump are compelling reasons to rebuild that trust,” suggests Maillard, now at Chatham House.
Susi Dennison, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, agrees that relations are not back to pre-Brexit levels, noting that disagreements between the UK and France predate the Brexit vote.
For President Macron, this visit offers a chance to improve relations and gain international prominence at a time when his domestic popularity has declined, Mr. Roche believes. “It’s a very important visit, especially the first day, because the French are fascinated by the Royal Family.”
After eight years in power, President Macron’s second term has almost two years remaining, but his decision to call snap elections last year and lose his government’s majority has taken a political toll. His prime minister, François Bayrou, faces a challenging task in navigating next year’s budget past France’s left-wing and far-right parties.
As president, President Macron’s domaine réservé includes foreign policy, defense, and security. Traditionally, the French prime minister does not travel with the head of state, so President Macron’s delegation includes ministers who will address a wide range of issues.
During the summit, the two teams will focus on nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and cultural ties. Issues regarding “post-Brexit mobility” for students and young people remain unresolved, and France is expected to pressure the new UK government on this matter.
However, the main focus of Thursday’s UK-France summit will be defense and migration.
Defending Ukraine will be a top priority. An Élysée Palace source indicated discussions will center on “how to seriously maintain Ukraine’s combat capability” and regenerate its military.
“On defense, our relationship is closer than any other countries,” notes former ambassador Sylvie Bermann. “We have to prepare for the future to strengthen the deterrence of Europe.”
If a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, the two countries could form the backbone of the “reassurance force” proposed by the “coalition of the willing,” in which Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron have played a significant role, alongside the military chiefs of staff of both nations.
Migration is the most challenging issue. The management of their differences, especially regarding small boats, is critical to their future relationship.
The two countries are eager to sign an agreement on migrant returns and on French police preventing people from boarding boats to cross the Channel.
France has argued that the UK must address the “pull factors” that drive people to risk their lives crossing the Channel, while the UK provides funding for 1,200 French gendarmes to patrol France’s northern coastline and prevent smuggler boats from launching.
Reportedly, the two countries are working on a “one-in, one-out” agreement, where for every small-boat arrival in the UK that France accepts back, the UK would allow one asylum seeker from France seeking family reunification.
Several countries on Europe’s southern coast are wary, as it could lead to France sending asylum seekers returned by the UK to their country of entry into the EU, bordering the Mediterranean.
In the UK, the opposition Conservatives have called the idea “pathetic,” accusing the government of “national record – for failure” on curbing small-boat crossings.
Yet, every country in Europe is trying to reduce illegal border crossings. Meghan Benton, of the Migration Policy Institute, believes a Franco-British deal could serve as a pilot for the rest of Europe: “What works for the Channel could also work for the Mediterranean.”
Any agreement on this complex issue could signal a real improvement in the countries’ political relationship. France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has been working with the UK’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to find a workable solution.
The outcome and its impact on Europe remain to be seen, but it reflects a new willingness to address divisions between the two nations.
Boris Johnson once accused France of wanting to punish the UK for Brexit. That chapter now appears to be over.
As Susi Dennison puts it: “There’s a certain distance that will always be there, but things are operating quite well.”
During his 2023 state visit to France, King Charles called for the two countries to find common ground and “reinvigorate our friendship to ensure it is fit for the challenge of this, the 21st Century.”
This visit will help determine whether his call has been answered, both in personal relationships and concrete policy debates.
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Macron has said the state visit should deepen co-operation with the UK “in a concrete, effective, and lasting way”.
Photos from the first day of the French president’s state visit, when he has been greeted by the royals.
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Road closures will be in place for a rehearsal on Monday and procession on Tuesday.
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