France, secular republicreceive this week a monarch and a pope, with all the honors and a security device worthy of the unprecedented occasion. The British kings Charles III and Camilla begin a visit today three days to France, where they will be received by the French president, Emmanuel Macron. Both monarchs They will descend the Champs Elysées this afternoon and dine with all the royal pomp at the Palace of Versailles.
It is the first state visit of Charles III to France since he was crowned, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II just a year ago. It was going to be held in March, but the country was in the middle of pension reform riots of Macron and it was finally decided to postpone for security reasons. Elysée sources highlight that this visit aims to show “the strong attachment between the two countries”, a union that “was already exemplified in March”, with the visit of the prime minister, Rishi Sunakand that softens relations that have been strained in recent years due to Brexit.
It is an “unprecedented” challenge in terms of security, as acknowledged by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. Not only do kings and the Supreme Pontiff coincide in the same week: to this is added that yesterday the first match of the Champions League between PSG and Borussia Dortmund, and also these days the Rugby World Cup. Just to guarantee security at this event, there are some 5,000 agents every day. In total, in all these days some 30.000according to the Efe agency.
After a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, Macron and Charles III will drive down the Champs-Elysées and then hold a meeting at the Elysee Palace. The Versailles dinner, which will be attended by 150 personas, is a nod to the visit that the Queen of England made in 1957. She visited France 13 times. Diners will dine in the hall of mirrors. On the menu: seafood, poultry and a dessert from the famous pastry chefPierre Hermé. The holding of state dinners in Versailles is always the subject of controversy. In this case, Elysée sources have defended that this enclave has been chosen because “it is one of the most iconic sites in the country.”
On Thursday, the monarch and president will visit the Cathedral of Our Lady, which is in the process of rehabilitation after the 2019 fire. They will not access the interior. Charles III will give a speech in the Senate. On Thursday, the French first lady, Brigitte Macronand Queen Camilla will launch some Franco-British literary awards, which will see its first edition in 2024, in the National Library of France. On Friday, Carlos and Camila will travel to Bordeaux.