UK royals welcome France's Macron for state visit
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.
"The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend," Macron wrote on X, in a marked change of tone from the years of wrangling over Brexit.
"Our bond is longstanding, forged by history and strengthened by trust."
The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted on Tuesday on a red carpet at London's RAF Northolt air base by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were met in Windsor, west of London, by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A military band played the French and British national anthems as all four set out for the royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags.
Later, the King and Queen will host a state banquet for their guests.
The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023.
The monarch will make a broad appeal to international co-operation at the banquet, saying Britain and France "face a multitude of complex threats" that "know no borders" - and that "no fortress can protect us against them".
Macron will address both houses of Britain's parliament before sitting down for talks with Starmer on migration, defence and investment.
At a UK-France summit on Thursday, senior government officials from the two countries will discuss small-boat crossings, a thorny issue for successive governments on both sides of the English Channel.
Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than Mediterranean European countries, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the UK, either by stowing away in trucks or - after a clampdown on that route - in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Starmer, whose centre-left government was elected a year ago, has pledged to " smash the gangs " behind organised people-smuggling.
Starmer and Macron have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, with Britain and France leading efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and US security guarantees.
US President Donald Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive.
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Britain 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.
"The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend," Macron wrote on X, in a marked change of tone from the years of wrangling over Brexit.
"Our bond is longstanding, forged by history and strengthened by trust."
The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted on Tuesday on a red carpet at London's RAF Northolt air base by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were met in Windsor, west of London, by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A military band played the French and British national anthems as all four set out for the royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags.
Later, the King and Queen will host a state banquet for their guests.
The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023.
The monarch will make a broad appeal to international co-operation at the banquet, saying Britain and France "face a multitude of complex threats" that "know no borders" - and that "no fortress can protect us against them".
Macron will address both houses of Britain's parliament before sitting down for talks with Starmer on migration, defence and investment.
At a UK-France summit on Thursday, senior government officials from the two countries will discuss small-boat crossings, a thorny issue for successive governments on both sides of the English Channel.
Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than Mediterranean European countries, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the UK, either by stowing away in trucks or - after a clampdown on that route - in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Starmer, whose centre-left government was elected a year ago, has pledged to " smash the gangs " behind organised people-smuggling.
Starmer and Macron have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, with Britain and France leading efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and US security guarantees.
US President Donald Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive.
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Britain 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.
"The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend," Macron wrote on X, in a marked change of tone from the years of wrangling over Brexit.
"Our bond is longstanding, forged by history and strengthened by trust."
The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted on Tuesday on a red carpet at London's RAF Northolt air base by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were met in Windsor, west of London, by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A military band played the French and British national anthems as all four set out for the royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags.
Later, the King and Queen will host a state banquet for their guests.
The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023.
The monarch will make a broad appeal to international co-operation at the banquet, saying Britain and France "face a multitude of complex threats" that "know no borders" - and that "no fortress can protect us against them".
Macron will address both houses of Britain's parliament before sitting down for talks with Starmer on migration, defence and investment.
At a UK-France summit on Thursday, senior government officials from the two countries will discuss small-boat crossings, a thorny issue for successive governments on both sides of the English Channel.
Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than Mediterranean European countries, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the UK, either by stowing away in trucks or - after a clampdown on that route - in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Starmer, whose centre-left government was elected a year ago, has pledged to " smash the gangs " behind organised people-smuggling.
Starmer and Macron have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, with Britain and France leading efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and US security guarantees.
US President Donald Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive.
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Britain 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.
"The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend," Macron wrote on X, in a marked change of tone from the years of wrangling over Brexit.
"Our bond is longstanding, forged by history and strengthened by trust."
The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted on Tuesday on a red carpet at London's RAF Northolt air base by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They were met in Windsor, west of London, by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A military band played the French and British national anthems as all four set out for the royal residence of Windsor Castle in horse-drawn carriages, through streets bedecked in Union Jacks and French tricolour flags.
Later, the King and Queen will host a state banquet for their guests.
The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023.
The monarch will make a broad appeal to international co-operation at the banquet, saying Britain and France "face a multitude of complex threats" that "know no borders" - and that "no fortress can protect us against them".
Macron will address both houses of Britain's parliament before sitting down for talks with Starmer on migration, defence and investment.
At a UK-France summit on Thursday, senior government officials from the two countries will discuss small-boat crossings, a thorny issue for successive governments on both sides of the English Channel.
Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than Mediterranean European countries, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the UK, either by stowing away in trucks or - after a clampdown on that route - in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Starmer, whose centre-left government was elected a year ago, has pledged to " smash the gangs " behind organised people-smuggling.
Starmer and Macron have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, with Britain and France leading efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and US security guarantees.
US President Donald Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive.
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Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
French President Macron publicly snubbed by wife Brigitte less than two months after shoving scuffle
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have had yet another awkward public encounter less than two months after their infamous shoving scuffle made headlines. The French president, 47, and his first lady, 72, arrived in the UK Tuesday for a three-day state visit. Cameras were rolling as they deplaned a jet at Royal Air Force Northolt in London, capturing Brigitte leaving her husband hanging as he held out his hand to help her walk down the plane's steps. Emmanuel's suit-clad arm was extended for several moments, but the first lady appeared more focused on holding onto the railing. She did, however, appear to eventually acknowledge her spouse's kind gesture, exchanging a few short words with him once she stepped down and offering him a nice smile. Prince William was present for the arrival, and was seen shaking Emmanuel's hand shortly after. The British royal was accompanied by his wife, Kate Middleton, for the greeting. Reps for the French president could not immediately be reached for comment. The Macrons' marriage has been under a microscope due to the shocking altercation they had in May. (Their relationship has also been heavily scrutinized due to their age difference, and because Emmanuel was just a teen when they first met.) Earlier this year, Brigitte was caught on camera putting both of her hands on her husband's face and pushing him back, just moments after they landed in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, for a state visit. Emmanuel brushed off the incident, however, claiming they were just 'squabbling and, rather, joking' with one another, adding, 'Everyone needs to calm down.' 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by joking around,' a source also claimed to the Agence France-Presse, a French international news agency headquartered in Paris. 'It's a moment of togetherness. No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists.' A body language expert dismissed any excuse that the pair was just horsing around, though. Originally published as French President Macron publicly snubbed by wife Brigitte less than two months after shoving scuffle
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
A king's welcome for Macron as Starmer urges France to stop the boats
'France and the UK have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness.' Starmer is aiming for a 'one in, one out' agreement that means France will accept the return of asylum seekers who cross the channel, as long as the UK accepts some asylum seekers who have family in the UK. UK government figures show that about 20,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in the first six months of this year to try to settle in Britain – up 48 per cent on the same period last year – fuelling an angry political debate about how to stop the boats. In a dramatic escalation last week, French police used knives to slash an inflatable boat with more than a dozen asylum seekers in shallow water on a beach south of Calais, forcing the passengers back to the sand. While French authorities said there was no change in their policy, the UK government wants the French police to intervene more forcefully. Behind the scenes, Macron is said to be asking Starmer to toughen welfare rules, family reunification and other measures in the UK to make the country less attractive to asylum seekers. The Telegraph newspaper cited government figures in Paris who said Macron also wanted Starmer to crack down on illegal work, a key factor when asylum seekers are not allowed to work but nonetheless seek 'black market' jobs such as food delivery drivers. In a remark about Brexit that triggered blowback, Macron told parliament the UK decision to leave the European Union was 'deeply regrettable' but their trade would grow despite this. Former Conservative home secretary Suella Braverman said the 'sooner Macron leaves the UK the better' because he had criticised the British people and their 'cry for freedom' with Brexit. Regardless of those complaints, Starmer and Macron have worked over months to convey a stronger sense of public alliance between the UK and France, in a contrast with the friction across the Atlantic with US President Donald Trump. While Trump has sent shifting signals about his support for Ukraine, Starmer and Macron have promised more military aid and will hold a meeting on Thursday that is expected to hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a wide-ranging address, Macron said Europe will 'never abandon Ukraine' and repeated his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, but his major theme was that France and the UK would work more closely together despite the differences over Brexit. 'Let's be sure we will meet again for years and decades because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked by our common future,' Macon said in his address. 'And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges of our times, would be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. 'This is our common destiny. Long live the United Kingdom, long live France.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A king's welcome for Macron as Starmer urges France to stop the boats
'France and the UK have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and fairness.' Starmer is aiming for a 'one in, one out' agreement that means France will accept the return of asylum seekers who cross the channel, as long as the UK accepts some asylum seekers who have family in the UK. UK government figures show that about 20,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in the first six months of this year to try to settle in Britain – up 48 per cent on the same period last year – fuelling an angry political debate about how to stop the boats. In a dramatic escalation last week, French police used knives to slash an inflatable boat with more than a dozen asylum seekers in shallow water on a beach south of Calais, forcing the passengers back to the sand. While French authorities said there was no change in their policy, the UK government wants the French police to intervene more forcefully. Behind the scenes, Macron is said to be asking Starmer to toughen welfare rules, family reunification and other measures in the UK to make the country less attractive to asylum seekers. The Telegraph newspaper cited government figures in Paris who said Macron also wanted Starmer to crack down on illegal work, a key factor when asylum seekers are not allowed to work but nonetheless seek 'black market' jobs such as food delivery drivers. In a remark about Brexit that triggered blowback, Macron told parliament the UK decision to leave the European Union was 'deeply regrettable' but their trade would grow despite this. Former Conservative home secretary Suella Braverman said the 'sooner Macron leaves the UK the better' because he had criticised the British people and their 'cry for freedom' with Brexit. Regardless of those complaints, Starmer and Macron have worked over months to convey a stronger sense of public alliance between the UK and France, in a contrast with the friction across the Atlantic with US President Donald Trump. While Trump has sent shifting signals about his support for Ukraine, Starmer and Macron have promised more military aid and will hold a meeting on Thursday that is expected to hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a wide-ranging address, Macron said Europe will 'never abandon Ukraine' and repeated his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, but his major theme was that France and the UK would work more closely together despite the differences over Brexit. 'Let's be sure we will meet again for years and decades because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked by our common future,' Macon said in his address. 'And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges of our times, would be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. 'This is our common destiny. Long live the United Kingdom, long live France.'
