France prepares for the visit of King Charles III and the Pope
France, a secular Republic, receives this week a monarch and a Pope, with all the honors and a security device worthy of the unprecedented occasion. The British kings Charles III and Camilla begin today a three-day visit to France, where they will be received by the French president, Emmanuel Macron. Both 'monarchs' will descend the Champs-Élysées this afternoon and will have dinner with all the royal pomp at the Palace of Versailles.
It is the first state visit of Charles III since he was crowned, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II just a year ago.. It was going to take place in March, but France was in the throes of unrest over Macron's pension reform and it was finally decided to postpone for security reasons.. Elysée sources highlight that this visit aims to show “the strong attachment between the two countries”, a union that “was already exemplified in March”, with the visit of Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and that softens relations that have been strained in recent years. because of Brexit.
It is an “unprecedented” challenge in terms of security, as recognized by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.. Not only do kings and the Supreme Pontiff coincide in the same week: in addition to this, yesterday the first match of the Champions League between PSG and Borussia Dortmund was held, and also these days the Rugby World Cup is being held in Paris. Just to guarantee security at this event, there are about 5,000 agents deployed every day. In total, some 30,000 will be deployed in all these days, according to the Efe agency.
Macron and Charles III will drive down the mythical avenue and then hold a meeting at the Elysée. The Versailles dinner, which will be attended by about 150 people, is a nod to the visit that the Queen of England made in 1957. He visited France 13 times.. Diners will dine in the hall of mirrors. On the menu: seafood, poultry and a dessert from the famous patisier Pierre Hermé. Criticized for the fact that the dinner is held in Versailles, the Elysée has defended that it was chosen because “it is one of the most iconic sites in the country.”
On Thursday, the monarch and president will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, which is in the process of rehabilitation after the 2019 fire. They will not access the interior. On Thursday, the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, and Queen Camilla will launch Franco-British literary awards that will see their first edition in 2024. On Friday, Carlos and Camila will travel to Bordeaux.
According to Elysée sources, the two heads of state will address issues such as the situation in the Sahel, after the latest coups in Niger and Gabon, and the war in Ukraine.. It is not planned to address, in principle, the migratory tensions between both countries.
Both have spoken on several occasions after the death of Queen Elizabeth and King Charles III “is very interested in the president's analysis of major international issues,” according to the Elysée.. In 2024, the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings and the 120th anniversary of the entente cordiale, which marks the alliance between both countries, will be celebrated.
On Friday, when Charles and Camilla leave the country, Pope Francis arrives in Marseille, who will be received on Saturday by Macron and will celebrate a mass at the city's Vélodrome stadium.. About 12,000 agents will be deployed that day.
The attendance of the French president at the mass has been highly criticized, given that France is a secular country. “The secular State does not subsidize or recognize any cult,” criticized the leader of the extreme left, Jean Luc Melenchon, who said that Macron “should not be in that mass.”. Macron says that he is not going “as a Catholic, but as President of the Republic,” the Elysée justified.