King Charles III greets French President Emmanuel Macron on state visit
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were greeted at RAF Northolt in west London by William and Catherine, the prince and princess of Wales, before meeting Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor town centre after a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets.
It marked the first state visit by a European Union leader since "Brexit" in 2020 and a renewal of diplomatic relations with Britain's former EU member states.
At Imperial College London, the French entourage will see examples of tech innovation, artificial intelligence, while the official state visit highlights advances in science.
"We expect to make good progress on a wide range of priorities, including migration, growth, defense and security, which will deliver on the interests of both the British and the French public," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC.
On Tuesday, British lawmakers and peers will hear Macron, 47, when he gives a speech to parliament.
Macron called the visit "an important moment" in the rich history between the two neighboring Western European nations.
The Macrons and the royal family will gather Tuesday night for a state banquet at Windsor Castle, where Britain's head of state is expected to give his own remarks about the "shared history and culture between our two peoples."
In prepared text, Charles, 76, will warn of present-day risks "emanating from multiple directions" and other issues that "know no borders" from which "no fortress can protect us."
He will state that France and Britain must stand united in the face of a "multitude of complex threats" and will issue warnings over defense threats, technology and ongoing threats of global climate change.
"For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other," the king's speech will read in part. "Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world," it adds.
Macron and the Labor Party leader Starmer, 62, will touch on a number of issues during Macron's visit, such as stopping small boats from crossing the English Channel, which Downing Street said Britain's relationship with France will be "key" to addressing that and other topics.
The British government has indicated a desire to reset diplomatic relations post-Brexit with its neighboring nations, still in the EU.
Meanwhile, Macron on Wednesday will visit a horse that he gave to the late Queen Elizabeth II on her 2022 Platinum Jubilee to mark her 70th and final year on the throne as the longest-reigning monarch in British history, just prior to her death later that year.
France's first couple are also set to visit the tomb of the late queen at Windsor during their stay.
Charles and Camilla visited France in 2023 for their own state visit where the king got a standing ovation after his speech to France's senate.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Poland could lose over $2 billion due to US tariffs, PM says
WARSAW (Reuters) -The new U.S. tariffs on European products could cost Poland around 8 billion zlotys ($2.16 billion), according to preliminary estimates, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. "The losses will be significant on both sides of the Atlantic, but a tough trade agreement is better than a senseless tariff war between allies," he wrote on social media platform X. The U.S. struck a framework trade agreement with the European Union on Sunday, imposing a 15% import tariff on most EU goods - around half the threatened rate - and averting a bigger trade war between the two allies that account for almost a third of global trade. Poland does not export many products directly to the United States, but expects to suffer knock-on effects as Polish companies are often subcontractors, and for instance, export car parts to Germany, which exports finished cars to the United States. The new 15% baseline tariff on U.S. imports includes cars, a mainstay of central European exports. Although below a threatened 27.5%, it is a big increase on the 2.5% before U.S. President Donald Trump embarked on his global tariff announcements following his return to office in January. Other countries in Central Europe also said the deal had eliminated uncertainty that has disrupted transatlantic trade, but said they expected a hit from the new tariffs. The Czech finance ministry said on Tuesday U.S. tariffs will slow Czech economic growth by 0.2 percentage points for the remainder of the year and by 0.39 percentage points in 2026, citing preliminary estimates. ($1 = 3.6978 zlotys)
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump's trade deal with the EU: What it means for your wallet
Tariffs, including the new 15% rate for most imports from the EU, would raise consumer prices by 1.8% in the short run, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Here's where shoppers could see higher prices. Imported cars, pharmaceuticals, apparel and more could grow more expensive in the months to come as the United States imposes a 15% tariff on most imports from the European Union. Analysts have labeled the agreement, announced July 27, as a win for President Donald Trump, whose administration had been working to complete deals by a self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline. U.S. stocks opened mostly higher on July 28, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching record highs after Trump announced a tariff far below the 30% rate threatened earlier in the month. But for U.S. consumers, even the reduced tariff is expected to spur higher prices. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that Trump's tariffs, including the new rate for EU imports, would raise prices by 1.8% in the short run, the equivalent of an average household income loss of roughly $2,400. While the increase may sound insignificant, 'the Federal Reserve's inflation target is 2%. So we're talking about almost a year's worth of inflation above and beyond the inflation that we would've gotten anyways,' said Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics at the Yale Budget Lab. 'So that's meaningful.' Here are some of the sectors that could see higher prices in the months to come. European cars Automobiles, one of the EU's largest export sectors, will likely see some of the most noticeable price hikes, according to Gary Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. While the 15% tariff is a relief from the current 27.5% rate, Hufbauer said the auto industry's margins are thin enough that EU companies won't want to absorb the higher cost. 'I suspect European auto prices sold in the U.S. will go up probably at least 10%,' he told USA TODAY. German Association of the Automotive Industry President Hildegard Müller warned the 15% tariff could cost the German automotive industry 'billions annually.' Already, Volkswagen has trimmed its full-year sales forecast after reporting a $1.5 billion hit from tariffs over the first half of the year. Automobile price hikes will likely vary across European makes and models, according to Tedeschi, since many already operate factories in North America. That means trade deals with Canada and Mexico could also influence pricing. 'Consumers should keep an eye out for rising prices for European car imports, but they should not assume that all European brands are going to go up in price because of how complicated the supply chain is,' he said, adding that he expects to see price increases tied to the new EU tariffs play out this summer and fall. What were the EU tariffs before? What to know after trade deal Furniture Furniture is another sector that could get hit by tariffs, according to Stephen Brown, Capital Economics' deputy chief North America economist. The Swedish company IKEA, for instance, relies on China, Poland, Italy, Germany and Sweden to supply 'the majority' of products, according to its website. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Inter IKEA ‒ which produces IKEA furniture ‒ told Reuters in November that just 10% of the products it sells in the U.S. are made in the region. 'Unless they find somewhere else to import from or move around their supply chain, furniture prices ... could see some effects,' Brown said. Pharmaceuticals While certain sectors like wine and spirits appear to still be under negotiation, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said pharmaceuticals will be covered by the 15% tariff, with certain generic drugs not subject to tariffs. The EU is behind about 60% of pharmaceutical imports to the U.S., according to Reuters, making them the largest European export to the U.S. by value. But Brown noted that pharmaceutical companies may be able to more easily shift production to the U.S. compared to other industries. For instance, the Danish manufacturer behind the GLP-1s Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, already has a presence in North Carolina and has plans to expand. 'Although there could be some short-term price increases, those might not be as durable as they are for other products,' Brown said. Additionally, consumers may not pick up on the industry's price hikes if their insurance covers the imported drug. Luxury items Luxury items like imported designer handbags and apparel could also see higher prices, as well as imported food. 'The difference between China and Europe, in terms of tariffs, is that the tariffs on China increase what people buy in Walmart and Target. The tariffs on European imports will mainly hit what people buy at Whole Foods and high-end retail stores,' said Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He noted that the companies behind luxury goods tend to have higher margins, though, and may be more willing to absorb some of the higher costs tied to tariffs. Machinery Machinery and appliances are also major exports from the EU, accounting for roughly 20% of U.S. imports from the EU in 2021, according to the Commerce Department. While consumers won't buy machinery directly, experts warn the higher prices could eventually trickle down as manufacturers adjust to higher costs. 'These are not necessarily products that immediately or directly impact the consumers, but they can indirectly affect consumers, especially after many years,' Tedeschi said.
Politico
23 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump got his tariff hike. The rest remains murky.
Asked about the discrepancy, Trump administration officials pointed back to the joint statement to emphasize that Indonesia had agreed to lift the ban on nickel ore. 'These countries made these agreements,' the White House officials said. 'We expect them to abide by their commitments and if they reneg, the president reserves the ability to raise their tariffs again.' The deals Trump has reached have made some gains on historically thorny issues surrounding U.S. exports. Tokyo has committed to importing more U.S. rice — which is culturally sensitive in Japan — and the EU promised to eliminate tariffs on U.S. cars, which should help German companies that manufacture in the U.S. Indonesia, too, promised to adopt U.S. vehicle standards, which could ease the way for American auto companies to sell more cars to the country of more than 281 million people. And the Philippines also promised to eliminate all of its tariffs on certain U.S. goods, like autos. The most significant development, however, is that Trump has effectively reset the United States' role in the global trading system, with little retaliation so far from trading partners or blowback from financial markets. Over close to a century now, the U.S. kept its tariffs around 2 percent, part of a system it helped create after World War II to foster integrated global supply chains, lower prices and expand consumer choice. Trump's duties have also led to an influx of new tariff revenue — paid by the people and companies importing foreign goods (and not, as Trump regularly asserts, foreign governments) — coming into the country. In just a few months, the tariffs have brought in more than $136 billion, with the higher rates still yet to take effect. And, on the whole, Trump's trade policies have yet to drive a surge in consumer prices, with inflation just starting to tick up in July. That's thanks in part to the fact that companies loaded up on inventory early in the year and some have thus far absorbed the costs. Consumer sentiment has slightly improved over the past two months, further emboldening the White House.
