The press conference was held this Wednesday morning at the British Embassy in Paris 8th. To discuss the visit of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla, about thirty journalists were received around a cup of earl grey tea and ambassador Menna Rawlings. The latter said she was "very happy to have been able to reschedule so quickly" the official visit of the royal couple to Paris and Bordeaux. Venue on which she gave more details on September 6, saying that it was first of all a way to "highlight the history and common values of the France and the United Kingdom", and to "testify to the solidity of relations" between the two countries.
To discover
- Recipes, tips, inspirations... Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app
On September 20, Charles III and Camilla will arrive in Paris for two days. They will go to the Élysée where Charles III is expected to meet with Emmanuel Macron. Accompanied by the President of the Republic and First Lady Brigitte Macron, the royal couple will then go to the Arc de Triomphe for a commemoration ceremony and a wreath-laying in memory of the fallen soldiers, before marching on the Champs-Élysées to greet the crowd.
Read alsoWhy do Charles and Camilla still not live in Buckingham Palace?
Flower market and state banquet
In addition, the King and Queen of England will go to the famous flower market on the Ile de la Cité, renamed the Queen Elizabeth II flower market in 2014, before heading to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, still with the Macrons. They will also be "the guests of honor of a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles, offered by Emmanuel Macron," added the ambassador of the United Kingdom in France.
The following day, Queen Camilla will launch, with Brigitte Macron, a new Franco-British literary prize at the National Library of France, while King Charles III will address the Senate. For all the events mentioned, Ambassador Menna Rawlings did not specify any "timing", for clear security reasons.
Organic vineyard
In Bordeaux, where they will spend a day, the royal couple will meet with French and British military (a frigate will be present) to learn more about how they collaborate in terms of defense, as well as emergency services and communities affected by forest fires in 2022. As already planned in March, Charles and Camilla will visit an organic vineyard, precisely that of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, in Martillac, Grand Cru Classé of Pessac-Léognan, the first to have adopted a sustainable approach to wine production. Menna Rawlings recalled that Bordeaux has always been "an important city in Franco-British relations", and is "one of the oldest twin cities".
This is the King's 35th official visit to France and Camilla's 9th. Their last visit dates back to 2019, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Elizabeth II made her last visit to France in 2014.