Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will undertake a State Visit to France, visiting Paris and Bordeaux, from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd September 2023. Originally scheduled for March, the visit was delayed due to political riots in Paris. The King and Queen did continue the State Visit to Germany as planed.
This Visit will have a special State Banquet at the Chateau de Versailles (the last of which was held for the Swedish King and Queen in 1980), so we may even get White Tie and Tiaras, though Black Tie and Tiara (for the Queen only) is more likely!
🔗 https://t.co/5ndjjf2XHB pic.twitter.com/uzespqtKO0
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) March 3, 2023
This Visit will have a special State Banquet at the Chateau de Versailles (the last of which was held for the Swedish King and Queen in 1980), so we may even get White Tie and Tiaras, though Black Tie and Tiara (for the Queen only) is more likely!
🔗 https://t.co/5ndjjf2XHB pic.twitter.com/uzespqtKO0
Further retails will be announced in due course but highlights of their French programme in March included:
- The King and The Queen will join President and Mrs. Macron for a ceremony of Remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe;
- His Majesty will address Senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate;
- Her Majesty, together with Mrs. Macron, will officially open the new Manet and Degas exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay;
- Their Majesties will be guests of honour at a State Banquet hosted by President and Mrs. Macron at the Chateau de Versailles;
- His Majesty will witness first-hand the devastation caused by last summer’s wildfires on the outskirts of Bordeaux, hearing from emergency workers and the local community about their experiences;
- Their Majesties will mark the opening of the British Consulate in Bordeaux and meet members of the local French and British communities;
- The Royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which has pioneered a sustainable approach to wine making.
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The British Royal Family have a long history of State Visits to France, beginning with Queen Victoria’s State Visit to France in 1855, as well as the landmark Royal Visit of 1938, the Queen’s State Visits to France in 1957, in 1972, in 1992, 2004, and 2014 as well as in 1948. King Charles made an Official Visits as Prince of Wales in 1988 and in 2008, with the then Duchess of Cornwall going on a solo visit in 2013, while the most recent Royal Visit was in 2017, by the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values. It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the U.K. is working in partnership with France and Germany, whether that be to tackle climate change; respond to the conflict in Ukraine; seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture. The visits take place at the request of the British Government and following invitations from the French and German Presidents.
As well as speaking to the strength of the U.K.’s bilateral relationships with France and Germany, Their Majesties’ visits will include engagements highlighting the importance of sustainability and community – key themes which have been embraced by citizens of all our countries. There will also be opportunities to reflect on the sacrifices and challenges of our shared past, out of which has come an enduring legacy of cooperation and reconciliation.
