United Kingdom (Commonwealth Union)_ Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Paris on Wednesday, commencing a three-day state visit intended to highlight the close ties between France and the United Kingdom.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were formally welcomed to France at the Arc de Triomphe after which they visited the Elysee Palace, where the King and President exchanged gifts. President Macron gave King Charles a golden medallion of Monnaie de Paris featuring the King’s portrait as well as a tree from Versailles and a special edition book. King Charles gave the President Voltaire’s Letters sur Anglais and a photography album of images of them together.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla at a State Banquet at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night where the two couples were joined by an impressive array of guests in the Hall of Mirrors.
The King and Queen arrived at 8 p.m. at the spectacular 17th century palace and were greeted by President and Madame Macron. Queen Camilla looked striking in a navy blue Dior outfit accessorized with diamond and sapphire jewelry.
Many notable celebrities and public figures from both France and the United Kingdom were invited to the State Banquet. This visit to France is particularly significant, as it is The King and Queen’s first official visit to France in this new reign.
The 160 guests at last evening’s dinner in the Hall of Mirrors included a mixture of British and French citizens who were selected for their contribution to UK-France relations. Among those invited were actor Hugh Grant, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, and former soccer manager Arsène Wenger. The menu for the evening included blue lobster and crab cake with almonds and mint, French poultry with mushroom gratin, French and English cheeses and rose flavored macaron with lychee cream and fresh raspberries.
The 17th century palace was built by Frandance’s King Louis XIV and is now a World Heritage site and museum. The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited global cultural sites today, and has been listed for the past 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, constituting one of the finest achievements of French art of the 17th century. It was once the hunting lodge of Louis XIII was extended and transformed by his son Louis XIV into a palace for the Court and the government of France in 1682. The former royal residence at Versailles, today contains 2,300 rooms spread over more than 63,000 meters squared. A line of kings succeeded each other up until the French Revolution, each taking his turn to embellish the Palace, the King’s Grand Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens.
British musician Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones accompanied by his partner, Melanie Hamrick attended the banquet while Hugh Grant also attended with his wife, Anna Eberstein.
French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg was pictured entering the palace in the evening, as were French footballers Patrick Viera, Didier Drogba, and Tony Estanguet. Former Chelsea boss Arsene Wenger was also on the guest list.
Younger royal watchers may probably have recognized French-British actress Emma Mackey on the red carpet, who starred in the first three seasons of Sex Education on Netflix and had a role in Barbie.
Today, King Charles will become the first British royal to make a speech inside the French Senate, for the first time in history, which he expected to deliver in French and English. King Charles and Queen Camilla will also visit Notre Dame Cathedral.
