The impending trip to France by King Charles III of the United Kingdom will highlight the long-standing close ties between the two nations, according to statements made on Wednesday in London and Paris.
Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated recently, partly due to the UK’s decision to leave the European Union but also as a result of migrants sailing small boats across the English Channel from France.
On September 20–22, Prince Charles will pay a state visit to Paris and Bordeaux as part of a larger reset between the G7 and NATO allies that began under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“The State Visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France, marking our shared histories, culture and values,” deputy private secretary to the king, Chris Fitzgerald, told reporters.
“It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK and France are working together.”
Since Sunak and his senior ministers visited Paris in March for a bilateral summit with their French counterparts, ties, according to a senior UK foreign office official, have been “steadily improving”.
In contrast to his divisive predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, Sunak has a quite different connection with Macron, who also has a career in finance.
At one point, Truss even said “the jury’s out” on whether the French leader was a “friend or foe” of the UK.
In Paris, Macron’s office called the visit “an honour for France and illustrates the depth of the historic ties that unite our two countries”.
Even before Charles became king in September of last year, The Elysee emphasized their personal bond.
According to the statement, the visit “symbolizes the friendship and trust that exist between His Majesty the King and the President of the Republic.”
At her funeral, Macron extended an open invitation to the next monarch to visit France, a gesture that was well-received in the UK following his tribute to Charles’s mother Queen Elizabeth II.
