Paul Kirby
European Digital Editor
BBC
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Few scenes of horse-drawn carriages passing through the beautiful streets of Windsor convey the dignity and soft power of England than the King and Queen. They joined on Tuesday for Emmanuel and Bridget Macron for their first state visit by the French president since 2008, first by European Union leaders since Brexit.
The prince and princess Wales are also there – the royal salute is fired and Macron inspects the guards of honor. However, in times of danger in Europe, this three-day visit to Windsor and London promises more than a ceremony.
There is genuine hope that the next few days will bring about change in both countries.
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Macron and Starcchi recently joined the German Prime Minister on a train to Kiev, sending a strong message of support to Ukraine when US commitments appear to be flagging
Macron speaks to Westminster lawmakers and their peers, and he and Bridget are treated to a state banquet in Windsor. The trip will peak at the British French Summit, co-chaired by Ir Kiel Starmer and Macron, during which the two governments hope to reach an agreement on the return of irregular migrants.
They will also host Ukrainian leaders in videos as they attempt to maintain arms supply to his army.
But the broader question is how closely they are really aligned, and whether they can place a prolonged mistrust after Brexit behind them.
And given that the trip includes many pageants – how important is Charles III’s role in this diplomacy, with the tour moving to the streets of Windsor, the castle squares, and then to the royal gallery at Palace of Westminster?
Resetting your “unique partnership”
It was two months ago that the UK and the EU agreed to “reset” in London. The connection with France in particular has been rather warmed, driven in part by personal understanding as well as strategic needs.
The two neighbors have a lot in common. They are both nuclear power and members of the UN Security Council.
They are also considering renewing the 15-year-old defense agreement known as the Lancaster House Treaty. This has established a powerful joint expedition of 10,000 people (CJEF) and has recently worked to expand it to include other NATOs and European countries.
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Macron has recently seen many of the Sir Kiel at the London and the Hague summits in Canada.
“It’s always been a unique partnership,” says former French ambassador to British Sylvie Berman. “I think this partnership will be important in the future.”
All of this is unlikely to escape the notice of US President Donald Trump, who is also promised his second state visit to the UK in September.
King Charles is “more than his appearance.”
King Charles, 76, has already navigated complicated royal diplomacy this year.
Macron was the first European leader to visit Trump at the White House in February, but it was Sir Kiel who stole the show a few days later and handed him a personal invitation from the king.
Later, when Ukrainian President Voldy Mir Zelensky returned to Europe fresh from a bruising meeting with Trump at the White House in February, he welcomed him to Sandringham and it was King Charles who met again in Windsor in June.
He has previously spoken of Ukrainian heroism, facing “an indescribable attack.”
Even before he ascended the throne, King Charles accumulated decades of experience in international affairs (he is also fluent in French). He was only 21 years old when he attended the funeral of wartime lieutenant-general Charles de Gaulle, who became the architect of the present-day Fifth Republic of France in 1970.
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21-year-old King Charles attends the Mass of Charles de Gaulle in Paris
He became the longest serving Prince of Wales in history, but is now a king who has a prime minister and a weekly audience. “The choreography is a strange dance between No. 10 and the palace,” says royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
“There’s no doubt that Charles is more than a great deal.”
Windsor Castle dates back to the first Norman King, William Conqueror, and has previously hosted the French president. However, there is a quiet significance in the appearance of Prince and Princess and Princess of Wales in welcoming Emmanuel and Bridget Macron as Catherine recovers from cancer treatment.
Between them, the King and Macron have played their role in resetting the relationship between their two neighbors and in their relationship with the European Union.
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Queen Camilla played table tennis with Bridget Macron at a sports centre in Paris
The king is French-speaking, says Mark Roche, a French media columnist and royal commentator: “He had always had a good relationship with France.”
A year after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, it was France that King Charles and Queen Camilla chose for their first visit in September 2023.
Macron reminded the world that in 2022 the late Queen “climbed the stairs of Elise Palace” six times more than any other foreign sovereignty. His words were received warmly in the UK.
The king received a standing ovation after a French speech to the Senate, and the queen played table tennis with Bridget Macron at the sports centre. The French First Lady then visited her in London for the Cross Channel Book Awards.
It may have been a gentle touch, but it continued into a very rough time with Franco and British relations.
Brexit negotiations have worsened relationships
The French president was feeling sick during negotiations over Brexit.
Then, four years ago, Australia withdrew its contract to buy 12 French submarines and instead signed a defence agreement with the UK and the US. The French Foreign Minister called it a “back stab wound.”
Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, told the French people they should do “Prenez ungrip” and “Donez moy unblake.”
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During negotiations over Brexit, the sour French-UK relationship was based on lies Macron (pictured by Johnson in 2020).
Macron’s idea for the European Political Community (EPC) in 2022, has made Britain a wide range of countries trying to respond to serious Russian invasions.
In 2023, then Prime Minister Rishi Snack aimed to turn the page at the Franco British Summit in Paris for several years of chilling relationships.
The British and French prime ministers came and left. The UK had three in 2022, and last year there were four in France. It was Sunak’s team that organized the EPC summit in Blenheim last year, but it was given priority as the new prime minister to chair it.
Sebastian Maillard, who helped advise the French presidency in establishing the EPC, said, “I believed there was still a lack of trust on both sides…memories of these difficult times have not been erased.”
“Trust requires time to build, and perhaps the Russian threat, support for Ukraine and how Trump deals with it are three compelling reasons to rebuild that trust,” says Mailard, who is currently at a Chatham House think tank.
Susie Dennison of Paris’ European Council of Foreign Relations agrees that relations with France have not returned to pre-Brexit levels, but suggests that the UK and France are “arguing” even before the Brexit vote.
For Macron, this is not only a chance to improve relationships, but also shine at an international stage where popularity at home has subsided, Roche believes. “The French are fascinated by the royal family, so this is a very important visit, especially on the first day.”
After eight years of power, Macron’s second term is still running for nearly two years, but he called last year’s snap elections and paid the price politically for losing a majority of the government. His prime minister, François Baileau, will face monumental work on maneuvering on next year’s budget, past the French left and far-right parties for several months next year.
As president, Macron’s power – his domaine laser – covers foreign policy, defense and security, but traditionally, the French prime minister does not travel with heads of state, so Macron comes to the UK with a team of ministers who deal far more with international affairs.
Difficult issues in transition
During the summit, the two teams will also tackle nuclear, artificial intelligence and cultural bonds. The differences need to be sorted out for students and other young people about “post-Brexit mobility,” and France is expected to push it into a smart government.
However, most of the headlines at the UK France Summit on Thursday cover two main issues: defense and transition.
Protecting Ukraine is a pride. Sources at Elise Palace said they would discuss “how to seriously maintain Ukraine’s fighting capabilities” and how to regenerate the army.
“In defense, our relationship is closer than any other country,” says former Ambassador Sylvie Berman. “In order to strengthen Europe’s deterrent, we must prepare for the future.”
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The two countries want to sign an agreement on the interests of immigrants. Over 20,000 people arrived in the UK on small boats in the first six months of 2025
And if a ceasefire is agreed in Ukraine, the two countries can provide the backbone of the “feeling power” proposed by the “coalition of will.” IS Kiel and Macron have played a prominent role in forming this coalition, as are the military secretaries of both countries.
However, migration is the most attractive problem facing two countries. How they deal with their differences, especially on small boats, is important for future relationships.
They would especially like to work together on migrants returning and signing contracts on French police and traversing the channel on “taxi boats.”
France has long argued that Britain must deal with the “pull factor” that people want to risk their lives on boats. The UK has already paid to patrol France’s long north coastline to stop the smugglers’ boats, with many of the 1,200 French gender muss already paying.
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King Charles previously called on France and Britain to find a common basis “to reinvigorate our friendship.”
As the country is believed to be working on the terms of the “one in one inch” contract, each time France arrives in Britain, the UK allows one asylum seeker from France in search of family unity.
Some countries on the southern coast of Europe are not impressed as this could mean that France will send asylum seekers by the UK and send asylum seekers handed over to countries of entry into the EU, bordering the Mediterranean.
In the UK, opposition conservatives branded the idea that they were blaming the “national record” against the government and criticizing the “national record” by thwarting the intersection of small boats as “pathetic.”
Still, all European countries are looking for ways to reduce illegal border intersections. Meghan Benton of the Institute for Immigration Policy believes that the Franco Brissish deal could serve as a possible pilot in other parts of Europe.
This consensus on a tricky issue could represent a true practical improvement in the political relations of the country. Bruno Retillo, the French right-wing home minister, is already working with Yvette Cooper, the interior secretary of the workforce, to find a viable solution.
Wherever they reach and the broader influence on Europe should be determined, but it reflects a renewed willingness between two neighbors to tackle the division between them.
Boris Johnson once accused France of France of wanting to punish Britain for Brexit. That difficult chapter seems to be over.
As Susi Dennison puts it, “There’s always a certain distance out there, but things are working very well.”
During King Charles’ visit to France in 2023, he called on both countries to find a common basis, “to reinvigorate our friendship to be worthy of the challenges of the 21st century.”
And this visit will help show whether his call has been answered, both in individual relations and in concrete policy debates.
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