King to host French president Emmanuel Macron on state visit to UK in July
The French leader and his wife Brigitte Macron will stay at Windsor Castle and will be feted with a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence.
🇫🇷🇬🇧 The President of the French Republic, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Mrs Brigitte Macron, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 8th July to Thursday 10th July 2025. Their Majesties The… pic.twitter.com/sIZCLOQFQI
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 13, 2025
Buckingham Palace said: 'The President of the French Republic, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Mrs Brigitte Macron, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 8th July to Thursday 10th July 2025.
'The President and Mrs Macron will stay at Windsor Castle.'
The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoy a warm rapport with the French leader and his wife.
The Queen plays table tennis next to the King and Brigitte Macron during a visit to a local youth sports association in Saint-Denis, Paris in 2023 (Hannah McKay/PA)
Camilla embraced Mrs Macron when they met again in December in London to give out prizes at the Entente Litteraire Prize award ceremony, an Anglo-French initiative which celebrates books aimed at teenagers and young adults.
Ongoing refurbishments at Buckingham Palace mean state visits have been relocated to Windsor for the foreseeable future.
The invitation to Mr Macron, for what will be his first state visit to the UK, comes eight years after he took office.
The King with President of France Emmanuel Macron during the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock in July 2024 (Hollie Adams/PA)
The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni also stayed at Windsor as the late Queen Elizabeth II's guest.
The event will be seen as a bid by the UK Government to strengthen ties with Europe and protect its economy after the turmoil sparked by US president Donald Trump's tariffs.
It is taking place ahead of Mr Trump's invitation to meet the King, which is reportedly being arranged for September.
US President Donald Trump and Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 2019 (Chris Jackson/PA)
The UK struck an economic deal with the American leader last week which cut tariffs on car exports and reduced tariffs on steel and aluminium, and kept a 10% baseline tariff on most goods.
The Government is currently in talks with the EU regarding its trade and security relationship ahead of a summit later in May.
Last week, Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey said he hoped the UK could 'rebuild' trade relationships with the EU after the deal with the US.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Queen Elizabeth II, French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor in 2008 (Carl de Souza/PA)
Mr Bailey said it would be 'beneficial' to reverse the post-Brexit reduction in UK-EU trade.
The King, who is still being treated for cancer, has a busy run of engagements in the coming weeks including an overseas visit to Canada to open the country's parliament at the end of May.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
39 minutes ago
- The National
50,000 letters sent to minister over controversial Flamingo Land plans
More than 50,000 people have written to the Public Finance Minister, Ivan McKee, in just two weeks, demanding that the Scottish Government withdraw its approval for Flamingo Land's Loch Lomond mega-resort planning application. In September 2024, the Yorkshire-based theme park operator, Flamingo Land Ltd, had their planning permission in principle rejected after all 14 board members of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Planning Authority. However, the decision to reject the £40 million resort plans was overturned by a Scottish Government official last month, when the developers appealed the decision. READ MORE: More than £1m in funding announced for restoration projects for Scottish coastline The proposal for the resort includes plans for more than 100 holiday lodges, two hotels, a waterpark, a monorail, 372 car parking spaces, shops, and more on the site called Lomond Banks. According to the Scottish Greens, more than 50,000 people have used a portal on their website to call on the Scottish Government to overturn the decision and scrap the development. Greens MSP Ross Greer (below) said the public's opinion on the proposal, which is the most opposed in Scottish planning history with more than 155,000 individuals lodging objections, 'couldn't be clearer'. (Image: PA) He said: 'The Scottish Government has got this badly wrong. They are about to allow a greedy developer to trash the gateway to our National Park. It is not too late for a u-turn though. They can still save Loch Lomond. 'In just two weeks the Planning Minister has heard directly from over 50,000 people calling on him to block these proposals. Public opinion couldn't be clearer and it is backed up by experts including the Government's own environment watchdog. 'I have campaigned side by side with local residents in Balloch for nearly ten years now to stop Flamingo Land. At every stage we have won on the basis of the overwhelming evidence against their plans, but that has all now been overturned by the Scottish Government.' Organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Ramblers, and the Scottish Government environment watchdog, SEPA, also raised objections against the plans. Greer added: 'I do not understand why the Scottish Government are determined to cosy up to greedy theme park operators rather than protect Scotland's world famous natural heritage. 'It's time for Government Ministers to actually listen to the people of Scotland and save Loch Lomond.' The news comes after Scottish ministers refused planning permission for a trotting track for harness racing on the historic Bannockburn battlefield site. The Scottish Government ruled that the proposals would 'introduce new development and urbanisation in one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield'. As such, it ruled the development 'would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place'. The site is where in June 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army famously defeated English troops led by King Edward II. The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
The National
42 minutes ago
- The National
'Landmark' reached in Waspi campaign for legal challenge to Government
WASPI campaigners say they have cleared a hurdle in their battle for a High Court challenge. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group is seeking a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider its decision to rule out a compensation package for women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated. The campaigners said they have received an update to say that their case is arguable, setting them on course for a court hearing. READ MORE: SNP activists reveal HQ silenced Reform strategy warnings A previous report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PSHO) suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected. But in December 2024, the Government said that, while it accepted the ombudsman's finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, cannot be justified. Waspi campaigners submitted arguments back in February for a legal case challenging the decision not to compensate women. (Image: PA) Lawyers for the campaigners argue that the Government's reasons for concluding that people should not receive any remedy are a breach of legal principles. Waspi said it also expects a hearing to consider its application for a costs capping order, so that campaigners would not be forced to pay unknown costs to cover the legal fees should they lose. READ MORE: John Swinney defends 'two-horse race' comments after by-election loss to Labour The group said that it may be forced to withdraw its challenge without this financial safeguard. It is also calling on supporters to help raise further funds for the legal challenge. Waspi chairwoman Angela Madden described the green light in its legal challenge as a 'landmark moment in our campaign'. She said: 'We are grateful for the funds raised so far and understand the country's purse strings are tight, but the Government cannot be allowed to brush this injustice aside.'
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Sarwar says surprise by-election win could help Labour back to power at Holyrood
Mr Sarwar and his party celebrated in the early hours of Friday morning after Labour's Davy Russell was elected as the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, winning the seat from the SNP. With the votes showing a swing of more than 7% from the SNP to Labour, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Friday the result showed people have 'voted for change'. The by-election had been held following the death earlier this year of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie. When the votes were counted, Mr Russell polled 8,559, SNP candidate Katy Loudon took 7,957 votes, while Reform's Ross Lambie secured 7,088. (PA Graphics) And although Mr Russell was elected with fewer votes than Labour secured in the seat in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP's support fell from just over 46% of all ballots then to 29.35% in the by-election. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice insisting they were 'delighted' with coming third – despite speculation prior to the count that they could come in second or may even pull off a surprise victory. Labour's win came after Scotland's First Minister John Swinney – who made numerous campaign visits to the area – had declared the contest to be a 'two-horse race' between the SNP and Nigel Farage's Reform. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice (centre) insisted the party was 'delighted' after coming in third (Jane Barlow/PA) But speaking at a media event in Hamilton on Friday morning, Mr Sarwar accused the SNP leader of running a 'disgraceful' campaign. Mr Sarwar also insisted the by-election could 'help lead the way' to him becoming Scotland's next first minister in the May 2026 Holyrood elections. The Scottish Labour leader said he believed the victory to be 'even more significant' than the party's win in the nearby Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election in October 2023 – which he said had been key in helping to secure Labour's general election win in July last year. Congratulations to @DavyRussell4HLS and the team on a fantastic victory. People in Scotland have once again voted for change. Next year there is a chance to turbo charge delivery by putting Labour in power on both sides of the border. I look forward to working with you. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 6, 2025 Mr Sarwar declared: 'I think in some ways this by-election result is even more significant than the Rutherglen by-election result two years ago. 'It is right to say, I believe, the result in Rutherglen helped lead the way in helping to elect a UK Labour Government and I also believe the by-election result here will help lead the way to elect a Scottish Labour government next year.' Looking ahead to that election, Mr Sarwar told the PA news agency: 'I want us to gain scores of seats across the country so we can remove this SNP government from office.' Anas Sarwar and new MSP Davy Russell celebrated the party's win in Hamilton with supporters on Friday (Robert Perry/PA) He went on to accuse Mr Swinney of running a 'disgraceful campaign' in the by-election, saying that despite the SNP having been in power for 18 years, 'the best he had to offer was 'vote SNP to stop Farage''. And while Reform UK came in third in the by-election, Mr Sarwar said Mr Farage's party could not win the Scottish Parliament elections. He insisted: 'Nigel Farage is not standing to be first minister. 'It is a straight choice – it is either going to be John Swinney, or it's going to be me.' (PA Graphics) The Scottish Labour leader continued: 'The choice is stark next year. Our Parliament is not about protests, our election is not about protest, it is about choosing a government here in Scotland. 'The choice is stark – a third decade of the SNP with John Swinney as first minister or a new direction for Scotland with me as first minister.' However, Mr Tice told BBC Radio 4's that the result in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse was 'truly remarkable'. He said: 'We've come from nowhere to being in a three-way marginal, and we're within 750 votes of winning that by-election and just a few hundred votes of defeating the SNP, so it's an incredible result.' Mr Swinney, meanwhile, said the SNP was 'clearly disappointed' with the result. The party leader said Labour had 'won by an absolute landslide' in Rutherglen and Hamilton West – noting the SNP 'came much closer' this time round. But he added: 'The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have made clear that we still have work to do. 'Over the next few days, we will take time to consider the result fully.'
