French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain turns to politics on Wednesday after a first day dominated by pomp and a warm welcome from King Charles III and members of the royal family.
Tuesday's agenda featured a horse-drawn carriage procession, a 41-gun salute and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle, west of London, for the president and his wife Brigitte.
The Macrons will begin the second day of their visit by paying their respects at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor's St George's Chapel.
Macron will then discuss biodiversity issues with King Charles III during a stroll in the castle grounds before bidding farewell to his host and heading to central London.
This is the first state visit by a French president to Britain since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 and the first by a European Union head of state since Brexit in 2020.
After Britain's acrimonious departure from the European Union, the two countries smoothed post-Brexit tensions in 2023 during a state visit by the famously Francophile king and a summit with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in France.
At Tuesday evening's banquet, Charles used a speech to around 160 guests -- including royals, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and music icons Elton John and Mick Jagger -- to warn that the two nations' alliance was as crucial as ever amid a "multitude of complex threats".
Charles concluded by toasting a new UK-France "entente... no longer just cordiale, but now amicale", prompting Macron to laud "this entente amicale that unites our two fraternal peoples in an unwavering alliance".
Hours earlier, in a speech to parliament, the French president had adopted a similar tone, saying that the two countries must work together to defend the post-World War II "international order".
Make a 'difference'
Macron and Starmer will meet over lunch on Wednesday, ahead of a summit on Thursday involving the two leaders and ministers.
On the economic front, Macron's Elysee Palace office has already announced that French energy company EDF will acquire a 12.5 percent stake in the new British nuclear power plant Sizewell C in eastern England.
On Wednesday morning, Macron is also due to meet entrepreneurs and scientists working on artificial intelligence at Imperial College London.
Later, the French president will also visit the British Museum to formally announce the loan of the famous Bayeux Tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England.
On the British side, expectations are high that measures to fight against illegal immigration can be agreed upon, following a record over 21,000 migrant arrivals via the Channel since January.
Macron will later meet with the business community at a dinner held in his honour at the Guildhall, a historic building in the City of London, the capital's financial district, with 650 guests in attendance.
By Valérie LEROUX/AFP
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