Lip reader reveals Macron's cheeky remark about Prince William to King Charles after arriving at Windsor Castle
The French president, and his wife Brigitte, were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt this morning.
4
4
They were then welcomed in Windsor by the King and Queen, with Macron warmly greeting Charles and kissing Camilla's hand.
As they stood chatting, Mr Macron also placed his hand on the King's back as part of a friendly greeting.
It was shortly after when chatting to the monarch, that the French leader made an observation about Wills, says lip reader Nicola Hickling.
According to the lip reader, Macron said to King Charles: 'He is incredibly tall.'
King Charles, who is said to be 5ft 10, is then understood to have replied: 'He is very tall. He's six foot one, he is, ever so.'
Prince William then weighed in: 'Actually, I'm six foot three.'
5ft 7 Macron is said to have replied cheekily: 'Unlike us, we're short.'
Mrs Macron was seen greeting Queen Camilla with "la bise" - the customary French greeting of a double cheek air kiss.
The royal party and their guests stood still for the French national anthem, surrounded by household cavalry members.
From there, the King and Mr Macron travelled together through Windsor in the 1902 State Landau.
They were followed by the Queen and Brigitte Macron in the Semi-State Landau, Buckingham Palace announced.
End of an era as King Charles AXES royal train after 150 years as cost of keeping iconic vehicle going hits £1.2m a year
In the third carriage, the Ascot Landau, ferried Kate and Wills, who accompanied France 's armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu and French culture minister Rachida Dati.
The final two Ascot Landau carriages transported French officials including Helene Duchene, the French ambassador to the UK, and General Fabien Mandon, chief of the military staff.
The processional route, lined through the town by the armed forces, takes in Datchet Road, Thames Street High Street, Park Street, Cambridge Gate, George IV Gateway to the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle.
Security was heightened with an enhanced police presence and teams inspecting the area around the castle and checking locations such as flower planters.
A ceremonial welcome took place at the castle, and inspection of the Guard of Honour.
French President Emmanuel Macron is the first European leader to attend a state visit to the UK since Charles III was crowned, and since the UK left the EU.
Macron has now headed to London where he is addressing Parliament.
He says it's a "great honour" to address MPs and peers, before praising Keir Starmer for being the first British leader in 80 years to spend Armistice Day in France.
Downing Street said in a previous statement they were hoping for "good progress" during Macron's three days in the UK.
Macron will end a busy day with a state banquet back at Windsor Castle.
4
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Starmer and Macron to meet at No 10 amid push for French help on small boats
The French president arrived on Tuesday for the first state visit by an EU head of state since Brexit. It comes as the UK has been pressing for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the Channel coast. The Prime Minister hopes to strike a 'one in, one out' deal to send small boat migrants back to the continent, in exchange for the UK accepting asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link. Alongside Downing Street talks, Sir Keir and Mr Macron are also expected to attend a reception with UK and French businesses and an event at the British Museum on Wednesday. Their spouses, Brigitte Macron and Lady Victoria Starmer, will have tea and a tour of Downing Street together, followed by all four having lunch. While they are being hosted by the King at Windsor, the Macrons will lay flowers on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and see Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse the French president gave Elizabeth in 2022 to mark her Platinum Jubilee. In a speech to MPs and peers on Tuesday, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, describing the issue as a 'burden' to both countries. He said France and the UK have a 'shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness'. Decisions at a Franco-British summit on Thursday will respond to 'our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues', Mr Macron added. The French denied a Telegraph report that Mr Macron blames the UK for the crisis. A senior Elysee source said: 'The French president looks forward to working with the Prime Minister constructively on this shared priority.' Last week, the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000. The total now stands at more than 21,000, a record for this point in the year. Sir Keir and the French president are also expected to co-host a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing', the peacekeeping mission proposed to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer and Macron to meet at No 10 amid push for French help on small boats
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron will hold talks at No 10 as the UK pushes for France to do more to stop migrant crossings. The French president arrived on Tuesday for the first state visit by an EU head of state since Brexit. It comes as the UK has been pressing for tougher action from the French authorities on the beaches along the Channel coast. The Prime Minister hopes to strike a 'one in, one out' deal to send small boat migrants back to the continent, in exchange for the UK accepting asylum seekers in Europe who have a British link. Alongside Downing Street talks, Sir Keir and Mr Macron are also expected to attend a reception with UK and French businesses and an event at the British Museum on Wednesday. Their spouses, Brigitte Macron and Lady Victoria Starmer, will have tea and a tour of Downing Street together, followed by all four having lunch. While they are being hosted by the King at Windsor, the Macrons will lay flowers on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and see Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse the French president gave Elizabeth in 2022 to mark her Platinum Jubilee. In a speech to MPs and peers on Tuesday, Mr Macron promised to deliver on measures to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, describing the issue as a 'burden' to both countries. He said France and the UK have a 'shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness'. Decisions at a Franco-British summit on Thursday will respond to 'our aims for co-operation and tangible results on these major issues', Mr Macron added. The French denied a Telegraph report that Mr Macron blames the UK for the crisis. A senior Elysee source said: 'The French president looks forward to working with the Prime Minister constructively on this shared priority.' Last week, the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year passed 20,000. The total now stands at more than 21,000, a record for this point in the year. Sir Keir and the French president are also expected to co-host a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing', the peacekeeping mission proposed to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Newspaper headlines: Horizon scandal's 'tragic toll' and 'sacked Gregg'
Horizon scandal's 'tragic toll' and 'sacked Gregg' Just now Share Save Share Save BBC The Post Office Horizon IT scandal dominates many of Wednesday's front pages, with the first report from the official inquiry finding it had a "disastrous" impact on those wrongly accused and prosecuted for criminal offences. Sir Wyn Williams' report found at least 59 people had contemplated suicide at various points, of whom 10 attempted to take their own lives, and more than 13 people may have killed themselves over the scandal. The Daily Mail leads on the reaction to Sir Wyn's report as campaigners say the Post Office has "blood on its hands". Catherine, Princess of Wales, also graces the front page as she attends the state banquet for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at Windsor Castle. The Post Office scandal is also splashed across the Daily Express, highlighting the impact it had on the lives of those caught up in it. And while Catherine is featured too, the paper is pointing out her "new look hairstyle" ahead of the state banquet. A tribute to the late Norman Tebbit, who served as a cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, is also featured at the bottom of the page. The Horizon scandal is covered on the front page of the Times, but it is the vote for strike action from resident doctors in England that is leading the paper. The government made clear a pay rise was off the table after the British Medical Association said 55% of its 48,000 resident doctor members had voted in the ballot with 90% supporting industrial action. The doctors were awarded a 5.4% pay rise for this financial year, following a 22% increase over the previous two years. The Prince and Princess of Wales are pictured together for the state banquet for Macron, who earlier warned that Britain and France were dangerously dependent on the US. The Metro also leads on the first volume of Sir Wyn's report on the Horizon scandal, which found victims had divorced, suffered serious mental health issues and alcohol addiction as a result of their ordeals. The Post Office apologised "unreservedly" and said it would carefully consider the findings. Macron's state visit to the UK and a proposed deal on the small boats crisis lead the Daily Telegraph. The paper reports that the French president is demanding Sir Keir Starmer make Britain less appealing to Channel migrants to secure a "one in, one out" agreement. Gregg Wallace's sacking from MasterChef is also covered on the front page. The presenter was fired as a result of an inquiry into alleged misconduct, BBC News understands. It comes as 50 more people have approached the BBC with fresh claims about the TV presenter. Wallace denies the claims. The Sun has splashed Wallace's sacking on the front page, with the presenter accusing BBC News of "uncorroborated tittle tattle" in its reporting. The inquiry into allegations against him, conducted by an independent law firm on behalf of MasterChef's production company Banijay, is expected to report back imminently. In a lengthy statement on Instagram on Tuesday, Wallace said he had been cleared by that report of "the most serious and sensational allegations" made against him. BBC News has not seen the Banijay report. Wallace insists he won't be "cancelled" after his sacking, the Daily Star reports on its front page. For 20 years, Wallace was one of the most high-profile presenters on British television and the face of the BBC One cooking show. But he stepped aside from the show in November after the BBC's initial investigation at the end of last year, when 13 people accused him of making inappropriate sexual comments. The Guardian is leading its front page with plans to be published on Wednesday designed to save the criminal justice system from total collapse. The paper reports that thousands of cases that would normally be heard in front of a jury should be decided by judges alone, according to recommendations made by a former senior judge. Sir Brian Leveson was asked by the Lord Chancellor to come up with a series of proposals to reduce the backlog of cases in the criminal courts. There are almost 77,000 cases waiting for trial in the Crown Court in England and Wales - meaning some defendants and victims are waiting years for justice. The Financial Times is leading with a debt warning from the independent budget watchdog, which says the UK faces "daunting" risks to the public finances. The OBR says the country's soaring debt load has led to "substantial erosion" of its capacity to respond to future shocks.
