On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived in Windsor for the start of a three-day state visit – the first by a French president since 2008. Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed the dignitaries when they touched down at RAF Northolt in West London, before traveling to Windsor Castle to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla.
While the purpose of the tour is to cement Anglo-French relations, some of the focus during Tuesday’s arrival was on the awkward body language between Macron and his wife. Brigitte appeared to snub her husband’s help when he offered his hand as they descended the steps of the airplane. The official greeting at Windsor Castle, however, was much warmer with Macron warmly shaking Prince William’s hand and looking delighted to be greeted by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The Macrons joined the royals for an open-top carriage procession around the town where the streets were lined with well-wishers. Brigitte was seen blowing kisses to the crowds as the bands played the French national anthem.
Both Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales put on a dazzling sartorial display for the occasion. Queen Camilla wore an emerald green chiffon dress by Anna Valentine and a hat by Philip Treacy with a diamond and emerald brooch that belonged to the late Queen.
The Princess of Wales wore a blush-pink skirt and jacket by Dior in a nod to the visiting French head of state. The jacket is the 30 Montaigne Ros Des Vents Bar Jacket from the French fashion house’s 2024 collection. It was reimagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who was inspired by the original, which was first created by Christian Dior in 1947.
There were loud cheers for William and Catherine who recently spoke about the impact of her cancer diagnosis and the challenges she faced as she underwent and recovered from a preventative course of chemotherapy.
As part of the official welcome ceremony President Macron was invited to inspect the Guard of Honour in the quadrangle of the castle where he appeared to get along well with the king. Macron seemed thrilled to inspect the soldiers who were dressed in red tunics and bearskins.
Following lunch, the Macrons were shown a number of French themed artifacts from the Royal Collection including Queen Victoria’s journal entry from August 1855, when Victoria had become the first British monarch for 400 years to have visited Paris.
Later in the day, the president traveled to London to give a speech at the Houses of Parliament where he addressed a number of issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and issues like trade and migration.
The highlight of the visit is Tuesday’s state banquet which will showcase a message from King Charles about the “shared history and culture between our two peoples” the Palace has said. He will say the UK and France must stand united in the face of a “multitude of complex threats” and also warn of threats in defense, technology and climate change.
“For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other,” Charles will say during the banquet, which will be held at Windsor Castle, as Buckingham Palace is being renovated.
He will warn of current risks “emanating from multiple directions” and challenges that “know no borders” from which “no fortress can protect us.”
“Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world,” the state banquet speech will say.
Macron will also spend time with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with immigration being an important topic during the tour. The two politicians are also expected to speak on the phone to other allied nations about the war in Ukraine and a possible peace deal.
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