The three-day state visit by the British royal couple to France is not just an ordinary visit to their Neighbors to the south. The last time Queen Elizabeth visited was in 2014, and this is Charles’s first visit as king. A lot has happened between 2014 and now.
The state visit of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla of Britain was originally scheduled for March. However, at that time, France had other pressing matters to deal with, namely the pension reform that was gradually raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Many people were upset, and riots broke out in the streets of France.
The red carpet is being rolled out for the royal couple, quite literally. The French are putting their best foot forward and pulling out all the stops, even though the relations between the two countries haven’t been very warm in recent years.
“Brexit has played a significant role in this: the chief negotiator for the European Union was a Frenchman, Michel Barnier,” says Harry De Paepe. “But the dispute over boat refugees travelling from France to the United Kingdom has also complicated matters.”
The relationship between the two countries is now improving. “This is largely due to Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has a better rapport with Macron than his predecessor, Boris Johnson.” Additionally, the conflict in Ukraine is bringing Western European countries closer together.
Private conversations between Charles and Macron will revolve around topics such as climate change, which is a key interest of Charles. Interestingly, this comes at a time when the United Kingdom has announced that it will lower its climate targets. De Paepe expects Charles to express his views on this matter behind closed doors, but not publicly.
The state visit is not only important for the United Kingdom, as they aim to strengthen their ties in Europe. France, or rather Macron, also has something to gain. “The British royal family is more popular in France than Macron,” according to De Paepe. “At least that’s what the British press is saying, suggesting that Macron is trying to capitalize on this popularity.”