The program of Charles III’s official visit to France is completely turned upside down. While the King of England was due to arrive in Paris next Sunday and continue his visit until Wednesday, notably via Versailles and Bordeaux, it was canceled, “given the announcement of a new day of action national against the pension reform “Tuesday March 28, announced the Elysée on Friday.
The decision was “taken by the French and British governments, after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III under conditions which correspond to our relationship of friendship. “, writes the French presidency in a press release, promising a rescheduling of the visit “as soon as possible”. “Their Majesties welcome the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found,” reacted King Charles and Camilla.
It must be said that the visit was “in the sights” of the demonstrators, warned Mathieu Obry (CGT) and Yvan Fort (FO) in the daily South West this week. “It is almost certain that the king will not be able to take the tramway” in Bordeaux as he planned, also anticipated Pascal Mesgueni, CFTC delegate to TBM, the Bordeaux transport authority.
At the request of Emmanuel Macron
Under these conditions, the king’s visit aroused the greatest concern. According to Downing Street, it was at the request of Emmanuel Macron that the visit was postponed. “The decision was taken with the agreement of all parties, after the President of France asked the British government to postpone the visit,” said a spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Its precise program had not been published when Charles III was due to land in Paris on Sunday evening. In particular, he was to speak on Monday in front of senators and deputies and participate in a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles, in the company of Queen Consort Camilla.
“The meeting of kings at Versailles dispersed by popular censorship”, quipped on Twitter the leader of insubordinate France Jean-Luc Mélenchon. UK Ambassador to France Peter Ricketts expressed his understanding. “It will have been a difficult decision. But understandable. State visits are a time for celebration and now was not the time,” he said.