A personal greeting from the Prince and Princess of Wales and a carriage procession through Windsor await Emmanuel Macron and his wife, as the royals roll out the red carpet for the French president.
Details of the French state visit next week have been released, with a different look from usual, as the important diplomatic event takes place in Windsor and not around Buckingham Palace.
In the first unusual step, the Prince and Princess of Wales will travel out to RAF Northolt and personally meet Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte off their plane, before travelling with them to Windsor.
The King and Queen will then formally greet their guests on a special royal dais constructed in Datchet Road in Windsor town centre, with the castle the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park.
There will then be a carriage procession through the town and along part of the Long Walk, which leads to Windsor Castle, before the full ceremonial welcome takes place in the castle’s quadrangle.
Later, a grand state banquet will be held with both the King and President Macron giving speeches. Kensington Palace has not confirmed if Kate will attend.
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Mr Macron’s state visit, from 8 to 10 July, is the first at Windsor Castle rather than Buckingham Palace, in more than a decade – since that of Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014.
Windsor has been chosen because of refurbishment at Buckingham Palace.
State visits are seen as the ultimate diplomatic gift the UK can offer, with the royals’ soft power used to strengthen diplomatic ties.
The French president will also visit the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday, where he will address parliamentarians in the Royal Gallery and meet opposition leaders at Lancaster House.
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On Wednesday, the president and Mrs Macron will join Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Starmer for lunch at Downing Street, ahead of a UK-France summit at Number 10 on Thursday.
But it will be the personal touches that will no doubt make this a special visit for the Macrons.
The King and Queen will take them to see a horse – Fabuleu de Maucour, a 10-year-old grey gelding Mr Macron gifted to known horse-lover Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 for her Platinum Jubilee.
They will also view a Charabanc carriage from the Royal Mews, a present to Queen Victoria from King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844.
And the Macrons will privately pay their respects and lay flowers at the late Queen’s tomb in St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
The King – as ranger of Windsor Great Park – will also invite the president to tour the Windsor Castle Gardens, including areas of nature restoration and biodiversity and the wider Great Park.
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The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008.
The King and Queen paid their own a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoyed a warm rapport with Mr and Mrs Macron, who will stay in the castle during their trip.
Interestingly, the arrangements could be seen as a potential template for US President Donald Trump‘s high-profile state visit in September.
