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00:00 Welcome to France 24 special coverage of King Charles's state visit to France.
00:05 This is his first trip to France as king and it begins here in Paris.
00:11 French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are waiting for their royal guests
00:16 at the iconic Arc de Triomphe and we will be bringing you the arrival ceremony in full.
00:22 But first let me introduce you to the three guests who will be providing insight and analysis
00:28 of this event.
00:30 First we are going to start with Philip Turrell, our international affairs editor and he is
00:39 at the Arc de Triomphe.
00:40 Philip, we are all awaiting the king and queen's arrival.
00:45 Tell us what the atmosphere feels like there.
00:49 Well first of all they are due here in about five minutes from now.
00:53 This is all regulated extremely carefully to almost a second.
01:00 Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are due here now to be five minutes earlier than King Charles
01:06 and Camilla at the Arc de Triomphe ready to welcome them and a ceremony will be held to
01:13 do that.
01:14 There will be the national anthem which will be sung, God Save the King, and also the Marseillaise,
01:20 the French national anthem as well will be played.
01:23 You can see just behind me there is the Republican Guard which is also waiting to salute the
01:28 king once he gets here.
01:30 There will be a ceremony which will involve the lighting of the flame on the tomb of the
01:35 unknown soldier and the laying of a wreath and then a review of the troops after which
01:41 the Red Arrows and the Patrouille de France will fly over the Arc de Triomphe in unison
01:49 with their red, white and blue smoke coming out of the back.
01:55 That will then be followed by a descent of the Champs-Élysées in two different cars
02:00 back to the Élysées Palace where the king will hold a head-to-head meeting with Emmanuel
02:06 Macron to discuss pressing issues, pressing international issues, probably the war in
02:12 Ukraine, probably global warming and I would imagine also the migrant question which has
02:18 affected relations between France and Britain over recent months.
02:24 But also there will be a time for them to discuss Franco-British relations more generally.
02:31 So that is what is happening this afternoon but it doesn't just end there because then
02:35 King Charles will be taken to the Palace of Versailles west of Paris about 30 kilometres
02:41 away where there will be a dinner tonight in the Salon des Glaces or the Glass Hallway
02:49 which is a magnificent room overlooking the gardens of Versailles, Versailles built by
02:54 Louis XIV, the French King Louis XIV in the 18th century and to which King Charles has
03:01 been invited tonight with Camilla for a state dinner.
03:06 And Philippe, you will be acting as our guide during the ceremony helping us understand
03:11 what happens.
03:12 I also want to welcome George Grosz from London.
03:15 He is a specialist in British monarchies and a visiting research fellow at King's College
03:21 in London.
03:22 Thank you for joining us for this event.
03:24 I wanted to ask while we await their arrival, this visit was originally supposed to happen
03:29 six months ago, was delayed due to protests here in France.
03:34 Do you think that that delay has changed or impacted anything as far as this event or
03:39 the relationship?
03:40 No, I think it's equally important.
03:44 I think it's a chance to continue to build this important relationship between France
03:52 and Britain.
03:54 So it's vital that it was to happen.
03:57 It obviously as you pointed out was postponed.
04:00 The Queen made many visits to France, at least five formal state visits and the sixth with
04:05 the opening of the Channel Tunnel.
04:07 So King Charles is continuing that tradition.
04:11 He singled France out to be the first of his state visits.
04:16 So it was crucial it was moved forward, at least would take place as quickly as possible
04:21 after.
04:22 But it's a very important reset and it has already been mentioned that on the agenda
04:26 of the things that will be discussed, we've got Vladimir Zelensky in the UN making an
04:30 important speech there.
04:32 So there will be this shared battle as it were in support of Ukraine that this meeting
04:38 today particularly with the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior signifies.
04:43 So very important to stress and build those relations.
04:46 But obviously sustainability will be another of those topics.
04:49 George we'll be coming back to you over the next hour of this ceremony.
04:53 But I want to last but never least introduce our correspondent in London, Benedict Peveo.
04:59 Benedict, this really is a celebration of Franco-British ties, of common bonds.
05:06 Can you tell us about how this visit is being reported in the UK?
05:11 Yes.
05:14 So this rescheduled visit, long planned, many things to plan for a state visit is very significant.
05:23 And it comes at an interesting time, an important time, because you'll remember that several
05:29 months ago we finally had an Anglo-French summit that was with Rishi Sunak, the Prime
05:36 Minister, who really has done his best to warm up the relationships because they were
05:43 absolutely dire under Boris Johnson.
05:47 They'd become very, very tense between these two allies.
05:52 And so yes, this state visit, his first after his coronation, along with his wife, Queen
05:58 Camilla, is that of a head of state, but a very different role to that of the French
06:04 president, because the head of state in the United Kingdom, this is a constitutional monarchy.
06:10 So it is not for King Charles to be political.
06:14 It is the Foreign Office and the government of the day that decides what state visits
06:21 a monarch will make.
06:23 It is significant that it's his first state visit since his coronation.
06:28 And let's point out from the word, from the get go, that this is a man who speaks fluent
06:34 French, who is Francophone, but also Francophile.
06:38 And he shares both those qualities with, of course, his illustrious mother, the late Queen
06:44 Elizabeth II, who had been educated to speak fluent French.
06:49 And of course, he has very big shoes to fill.
06:51 Now, there is a very warm relationship between the two men.
06:56 Very much the portrayal of the French president Emmanuel Macron in the British press, and
07:01 I think it's fair to say across the world, was that he had really judged the tone of
07:05 his reaction to the death of the late monarch by saying to you, to us, she was the queen,
07:12 to you, she was your queen, in a very respectful and affectionate way, which I think is fair
07:18 to say, at the risk of a generalization, is one that is shared by many French people.
07:25 There is indeed, I would say, being half French, half British, having lived in both countries
07:29 and knowing both cultures really well, a surprise element here in the United Kingdom when they
07:34 realize how not just the French media, but the French people are quite fascinated by
07:40 the British monarchy.
07:41 So it'll be a very busy schedule, but beneath the not overtly political, there will be a
07:47 bilateral meeting, as Philippe earlier said, and let's remember that the role of this constitutional
07:53 monarch is also to meet once a week the prime minister of the day.
07:59 So he's political, but behind closed doors in the sense that a monarch is here to give
08:04 guidance to the prime minister of the day, and it will be very interesting to see, for
08:11 example, what toast King Charles gives tonight at the Chateau de Versailles, and also he
08:18 will give a longish speech tomorrow, which we of course will broadcast on France 24,
08:22 and he will be the first British monarch to address both the lower house and the upper
08:28 house, so parliament and the senate, and I've got some students coming past getting a little
08:34 bit excited at seeing a reporter outside Buckingham Palace, sorry if there was some shouting there.
08:40 So he will be the first British monarch to address, in French and English, and to address
08:45 the French parliament, and that will be very interesting to see, and also the coverage
08:49 which we will get here in the United Kingdom, a celebration of the bonds, the ties, political,
08:54 economic, geopolitical, and cultural, of course.
08:58 Benedict, thank you so much for that context from the UK.
09:02 I just want to update our viewers right now what they are seeing.
09:06 This is the motorcade of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
09:10 They are making their way down the famed Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
09:16 That is where this arrival ceremony for King Charles and Queen Camilla will begin.
09:21 Philip, I want to come back to you as Emmanuel Macron makes his way down to the Arc de Triomphe.
09:28 Can you tell us a little bit more about what the current relationship is like between Macron
09:35 and King Charles?
09:37 What kind of affinity do they have for each other and shared interests?
09:41 Well, first of all, the relationship between Britain and France has always had highs and
09:48 lows.
09:50 Many people have quit, and I've heard it several times in the past, that it's like an elderly
09:54 couple who don't love each other but are obliged to live together because they can't get away
09:59 from each other.
10:00 And I think that France and Britain are a bit like that.
10:03 We've had some not very good relationships between the two countries over the past few
10:08 years, notably because of the debate over Brexit.
10:11 And Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron did not get on very well together.
10:15 I think that relationship with King Charles and with Rishi Sunak, the current British
10:21 Prime Minister, has vastly improved.
10:24 You have to remember that Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron are quite similar.
10:27 They're both from well-off families.
10:29 They both come from the banking sector.
10:31 They're both the same age.
10:33 So they have quite a lot in common.
10:36 And there have been feelers put out by the British Prime Minister since he took office
10:41 after the end of the very short term by Liz Truss just a year ago to try to work towards
10:49 becoming a more integral part of the European Union but without rejoining it.
10:54 And there have been overtures towards that by the British Prime Minister, which have
10:57 gone down very well here in France, I think.
11:00 And it's no secret that Emmanuel Macron and Rishi Sunak see much more in common than,
11:07 for example, either Boris Johnson or Liz Truss before that.
11:11 And as far as King Charles is concerned, I think that there is a certain fascination
11:16 on the part of Emmanuel Macron towards the man who has been waiting for over 70 years
11:21 to become king of France, who has this vast experience on the diplomatic front with all
11:25 the heads of state and government that he's met over the years as Prince Charles and as
11:29 Prince of Wales and all the experience that he's had, which could be of great use to Emmanuel
11:34 Macron.
11:35 So I'm sure that will also be one of the subjects of discussion when the two men meet a little
11:39 bit later on today at the Elysee Palace.
11:41 And it has to be said also, one final point, is that the discussions that take place between
11:45 Emmanuel Macron and King Charles will remain confidential.
11:47 There'll be no press statement at the end of it.
11:50 There'll be no common press conference between the two men.
11:53 So whatever Emmanuel Macron says and whatever King Charles says will remain confidential
11:57 between those two leaders.
11:58 So there will be a certain facility, I think, in those discussions with that knowledge in
12:04 both of the men's minds that the discussions won't go any further than the four walls where
12:08 they're talking.
12:09 Philip, we are now seeing the King and Queen's motorcade making its way down the Champs-Élysées
12:18 as well.
12:19 So this meeting between Emmanuel Macron and King Charles is imminent now.
12:24 George, just to come back to you right ahead of this meeting, tell us a little bit more
12:30 about the influence of the King politically, because both these men are heads of state,
12:36 but in reality their roles inside their countries are very different.
12:40 King Charles, what is his influence politically and with the British public?
12:45 Well, as has been pointed out, you're absolutely right, it is very different.
12:50 He's a constitutional monarch.
12:52 I think here where it really helps in meetings like this is this is where soft power comes
12:57 into play.
12:59 So in terms of healing or improving a relationship that has been mentioned, struggled under Boris
13:04 Johnson and Liz Truss, but there's been this sort of bromance with Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel
13:10 Macron, this is a chance to cement that further because of the ties that the King has with
13:17 Macron in terms of COP21 with the climate summit and the success of the Paris agreement.
13:26 So I think this is a chance to cement it.
13:29 And because the King in the UK stands in a sense above politics, it's a great way that
13:35 it's different from, say, a meeting if Rishi Sunak went, where of course he's the prime
13:40 minister, but he's also the leader of the Conservative Party, or just the other day
13:44 Keir Starmer visiting France, he's representing as leader of the opposition, he's also the
13:50 head of the Labour Party.
13:52 So the King is able to stand above the politics and represent Britain in that way.
13:56 And I think that that can be very helpful when you're building relationship here or
14:01 re-cementing, I like the analogy that was given earlier of the old couple.
14:05 So this is a really good opportunity for that.
14:07 And because the monarch stands above that, the day to day of politics, it helps cement
14:14 those relations.
14:16 And are France and Britain still doing a lot of work post-Brexit to try to heal the wounds
14:24 that Brexit caused?
14:26 Is there still a lot of work to be done there?
14:28 Well, I think it's very clear the direction in which the government wanted to take state
14:34 visits of the monarch.
14:35 Of course, it was meant to be France the first one, but the chance ended up the King went
14:40 to Germany.
14:41 So it's very clear the pivot of Sunec to try and heal relations and build them with France
14:48 and Germany as key places for state visits.
14:52 So there's clearly work to be done, but there's so much the governments do anyway together
14:57 and work together.
14:58 The countries work so closely together on Ukraine, on sustainability, there's so many
15:03 shared issues.
15:05 So there's much to build on, but much to continue to cement and heal.
15:11 And we are seeing the motorcade of King Charles and Queen Camilla approaching the Arc de Triomphe.
15:18 So the two leaders, Emmanuel Macron and King Charles will be meeting momentarily.
15:24 We are going to listen in for a minute.
15:26 And Philip, if you see something that you can help give us some context to and guide
15:32 us through, if you could pop in when you feel like you need to.
15:39 They're arriving now and you get off.
15:40 I hope you're showing this.
15:41 They're getting off and out of the car.
15:44 Do you want me to come back on?
16:08 Philip, yes, we are all watching along with you there.
16:15 The two leaders and their wives greeting each other, customary in the French double cheek
16:22 kiss as well there.
16:24 So Philip, we're watching along with you.
16:26 If there's something that you notice and that you think our viewers could use some more
16:31 context to understand.
16:33 Yes, please, please jump in whenever you feel.
16:38 Yeah, this is like the culmination, maybe I think of years and years of waiting by King
16:45 Charles.
16:46 Remember that France was one of the first countries that his mother visited when she
16:50 became queen back in 1952, her first state visit here in 1957.
16:55 She was very fond of France and came here on five state visits and all the last one
17:00 in 2014.
17:01 So I think a feeling that King Charles is coming back to familiar territory, but it's
17:09 pastures new for him because he's coming here in a totally different capacity and being
17:14 met by a man he knows who is President Emmanuel Macron, but in totally different circumstances
17:20 to the previous one.
17:22 So a very symbolic moment here at the Arc de Triomphe reserved for heads of state, a
17:27 state visit, something that is very symbolic for not only the French, but also the British.
17:33 This is something that the French do very well, bringing in heads of state to all the
17:39 pomp and circumstance of France that is now being shown around the world.
17:44 And it's a great selling point for France as well.
17:48 One is showing these images of, for example, King Charles arriving here in Paris.
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20:51 Just to explain to our viewers what we're seeing here, the two leaders, Macron and
20:55 King Charles, are reviewing the French troops here.
21:00 And then we are shortly after this going to see the aerobatic teams of the two countries'
21:05 air forces flying above the Arc de Triomphe, that's the Patrie de France, and Britain's
21:11 Red Arrows. (Music.)
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22:34 Macron and King Charles are now walking to the Arc de Triomphe.
22:39 They will be laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is located just
22:44 under the Arc de Triomphe.
22:47 And the purpose of this is said to mark the shared sacrifices of the past and an enduring
22:52 legacy of cooperation.
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