King Charles hosts France’s Macron in first European state visit since Brexit
The countries hope to ‘reset’ post-Brexit relations, addressing issues like English Channel migrant crossings and a proposed Ukraine security force amid royal fanfare
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Britain on Tuesday for a state visit mixing royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefire security force for Ukraine, despite apparent US indifference to the idea and Russia’s refusal to halt the onslaught on its neighbour.
Macron’s three-day visit, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government’s desire to reset relations with the bloc that the UK acrimoniously left in 2020.
Macron said the visit was an “important moment for our two nations.”
“The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend,” Macron wrote on social media, in a marked change of tone from the years of wrangling over Brexit. “Our bond is long-standing, forged by history and strengthened by trust.”
The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted on a red carpet laid over the tarmac at London’s RAF Northolt airbase by Prince William and his wife, Catherine, who was wearing a dress by French design house Christian Dior.