Macron state visit live: Charles calls on Britain and France to ‘lead the way’ in face of ‘complex threats’

The French Tricolor and Britain’s Union flag hang from the standards near Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished.

French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Britain on Tuesday at the start of a state visit as the two countries highlight their long friendship with conspicuous displays of military pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts.

The backdrop for day one is Windsor Castle, a royal fortress for over 900 years that remains a working palace today.

Prince William and the Princess of Wales greeted the Macrons at RAF Northolt outside London.

King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, where they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a military guard of honor. The first day ended with a state banquet at the castle.

Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a visit that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbor.

That royal trip came after years of sometimes prickly relations strained by Britain’s exit from the European Union and disagreements over the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats.

President Macron’s arrival in Britain marks the first state visit by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008.

Just why is it that we never see the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, commit a fashion faux pas?

How is it that this 72-year-old grandmother can, for example, pull off black leather trousers, really quite short dresses, or a swimming costume for a cover shoot?

With the Macron’s three-day state visit to the UK this week providing yet another welcome opportunity for scrutiny of Madame Macron’s impeccable wardrobe. With those impossibly toned, glossy bronzed legs, the power blow-dries and endless outfit wins she always seems to exemplify faultless French chic.

That has been the British government’s hope on previous occasions, notably when Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir’s predecessor, visited Paris two years ago. Each time a deal has seemed close, but each time Mr Macron has shied away.

The outline of the potential deal is known, and has not been denied by either side. The idea is that France will allow Britain to return migrants who cross the Channel by small boat, and that Britain will take an equal number of people whose application for asylum in the UK has been accepted at processing centres in France.

The King was seated between Emmanuel Macron and French culture minister Rachida Dati, while Kate – attending her first state banquet in nearly two years – was on the other side of the French president and also next to art historian Christophe Leribault, chairman of the Musee D’Orsay.

The Queen was on the other side of the table, between Brigitte Macron and French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu.

On the other side of first lady Brigitte was heir to the throne William.

Sir Mick Jagger, whose formal white place card read “Sir Michael Jagger”, was seated between Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Alice Rufo, director general for international relations and strategy of the French ministry for the armed forces.

Sir Elton John, who has severe vision issues after contracting an eye infection, was seated next to his husband, rather than apart which is usually the custom for couples at royal banquets.

On Sir Elton’s other side was the Duchess of Gloucester, while Sir Keir Starmer was next to footballer Mary Earps.

Also making an appearance was First Dates’ Fred Sirieix, as well as the French singer Mika, who was sat next to the Duchess of Edinburgh.

In his speech Charles described the UK’s closest continental neighbour as “one of our strongest allies” and said in the face of “complex threats” France and Britain “must help to lead the way”.

The King told the guests, who included the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prime Minister and senior members of the Cabinet: “Monsieur le President, the summit that you and the Prime Minister will hold in London this week will deepen our alliance and broaden our partnership still further.

“Our armed forces will co-operate even more closely across the world, including to support Ukraine, as we join together in leading a Coalition of the Willing in defence of liberty and freedom from oppression; in other words, in defence of our shared values.”

He went on to say: “Our security services and police will go further still to protect us against the profound challenges of terrorism, organised crime, cyber attacks and of course irregular migration across the English Channel.

“And our businesses will innovate together, generating growth, trade and investment for our economies and across the world.”

There were lighter moments during the King’s speech too, with Charles joking about the popular French cartoon character Asterix the Gaul’s incomprehension about Britons’ love of tea with a splash of milk, and how dinner guests had drunk “English sparkling wine made by a French Champagne house”.

And he described the “perfect combinations” of French and British – Monet’s paintings of London fog and Thierry Henry, a former French striker with London football club Arsenal, scoring at Highbury.

The French president even winked at the King when Charles mentioned the cultural ties between the UK and France and how a Frenchman, William the Conqueror, began building Windsor Castle more than 900 years ago and his son William has made Windsor his home.

Emmanuel Macron has delivered a speech mostly in French but in English he spoke about France’s loan of the Bayeux Tapestry which will go on display at the British Museum next year.

Speaking at the state banquet at Windsor Castle, he said: “For the first time in 900 years the Bayeux Tapestry will follow the same path as the warriors whose stories it tells and land on British soil.

“Either they were never made or they were lost – those final scenes of the tapestry are missing.

“I see that as (an) even more powerful symbol in the great mural of Franco-British history, the end has yet to be written.”