The visit was originally supposed to take place in March but the trip was postponed because of the
2023 French pension reform unrest.
20 September On 20 September 2023, King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, arrived at Paris Orly Airport and were greeted by Prime Minister
Élisabeth Borne. The King and Queen drove to the
Arc de Triomphe where the King inspected a guard of honour of French forces and participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The
French Air and Space Force elite acrobatic flying team
Patrouille de France and the RAF
Red Arrows performed a flypast following the ceremony. The King joined President Macron for a ceremonial tree-planting in the garden of
Hôtel de Charost, the
British Ambassador's residence. That evening, the King and Queen attended a state banquet at the
Palace of Versailles with 160 people in attendance.
21 September The King traveled to
Luxembourg Palace where he addressed the
French Senate, becoming the first British monarch to do so. During the speech, he addressed the
Russo-Ukrainian war and
climate change, calling it an "existential challenge". Meanwhile, at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF), the Queen and Brigitte Macron marked the launch of a new U.K.-France literary prize – ‘The Entente Littéraire Prize’ - at a reception attended by notable literary figures from both countries. The event celebrated the importance of literature and the literary connections between the UK and France. In the afternoon, the King and Queen visited Saint-Denis, the home of the Rugby World Cup village, as France hosts the
Rugby World Cup and Paris prepares to host the Olympics and Paralympics next year. The visit celebrated the important role sport can play in bringing communities closer together and enriching the lives of young people. Charles and Camilla went on to visit "Le 19M" Campus, accompanied by Brigitte Macron, to learn about the organization's work to promote education, creativity, and inclusion through teaching young people traditional "haute couture" skills such as embroidery, pinning, and producing tweed. The King and Queen later visited a central Paris flower market named after
Queen Elizabeth II and met local florists. The market was formally renamed during Her Late Majesty’s visit in 2014. This visit also served as the formal welcome to the city from the Mayor of Paris,
Anne Hidalgo, also known as the "Parchment Ceremony." This was the first time the ceremony has taken place outside of the Hotel de Ville. The King and Queen then visited the
Notre-Dame de Paris. The royal couple and Macron, with his wife Brigitte, spoke with firefighters who assisted in fighting the
2019 fire. The royal couple then traveled to
Saint-Denis where they visited local businesses and the
Basilica of Saint-Denis.
22 September The King and Queen ended their state visit in
Bordeaux. The King met with emergency workers affected by
wildfires in the region last year and visited an experimental forest designed to monitor the impact of climate change on urban woodlands. Meanwhile, the Queen visited Le Pain de l'Amitié, a local Bordeaux charity which houses a subsidised supermarket, kitchen and restaurant, and provides low-cost food and necessities to those in the local community who may be in need. It also acts as a hub for local families to connect and spend time together. They also attended a festival in celebration of British and French culture and business at the
Place de la Bourse. The King and Queen ended their State Visit with a tour of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte to learn about sustainable vineyard practices in the Bordeaux wine producing region. ==See also==