UK's King Charles begins first state visit to France
20 Sep 2023 04:07pm
Britain's King Charles III waves to onlookers as he arrives at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 09 September 2022. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, on 08 September 2022. The Prince of Wales became King after the death of his mother and will be known as King Charles III. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
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The 74-year-old British head of state will be accompanied on the three-day trip by his wife Camilla, the 76-year-old queen consort. They will visit Paris and the French wine capital of Bordeaux.
In Paris, the royal couple will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe together with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The heads of state will then have a bilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace followed by a state banquet at Versailles.
King Charles is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the French Parliament and meet with British and French business leaders before departing for Bordeaux, where he will meet with UK and French military personnel and have a tour of a vineyard together with the queen consort.
The trip was rescheduled from March amid large-scale protests sparked by a controversial French pension reform. Buckingham Palace said it will highlight the strength of the UK’s ties with France, "demonstrating the many ways the two countries are working together". - BERNAMA-SPUTNIK
