British State visit to France [postponed] & Germany, 26-31 March 2023


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First State Banquet at the Château de Versailles since 1980 ...
 
Also the first outgoing State Visits of the reign of Charles III.
 
Wow a banquet at Versaille! Surely the President will elevate the dress code to at least black tie for the State Banquet.
 
Wow a banquet at Versaille! Surely the President will elevate the dress code to at least black tie for the State Banquet.

Given the venue, I am expecting white tie.
 
Given the venue, I am expecting white tie.

That would be divine. I just can't imagine business suits to a banquet at Versaille. That would be criminal, even for the egalitarian French.
 
I wonder if members of the royal families of Germany will be invited to the state dinner at Schloss Bellevue and, if so, which ones.
If it’s only to Berlin, I highly doubt any German royal will be invited. But if they go to Wurttemberg or Bavaria as well, they will be more likely to meet some German royals because at Charles’s last German visit, there was a dinner party and Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein’s mother and father, Duke Max in Bavaria and Duchess Elizabeth were invited.
 
The State visit to France seems now highly compromised as the country is facing a HUGE political turnoil and the following days, if not hours, will be explosive.

Wait and see ...
 
If Macron loses a no-confidence vote does he immediately step down or stay on until a successor is chosen? If he stays on for a while I can see him wanting to continue with the SV..
 
If Macron loses a no-confidence vote does he immediately step down or stay on until a successor is chosen? If he stays on for a while I can see him wanting to continue with the SV..

If the government loses the vote, the Prime Minister and the entire cabinet have to resign and President Macron has probably no choice but to dissolve the National assembly and call new general elections.

The President himself does not have to resign.
 
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Hopefully the state visit will be able to go ahead as planned, but I'm sure that the authorities here are keeping a close eye on both the political situation and the protests in France
 
The French government won the no-confidence vote. Still it's not over, French style, as some demonstrations are expected.

Charles and Camilla are due to land in one week. For now Paris is buried under tons of trash and walls near the National Assembly are tagged with incriptions such as "Death to the King" and "Macron decapitation".

For now you can't imagine the most regal State visit in decades taking place in such explosive climate.
 
Its not looking good for the British State visit to France, postponement sounds more likely given the mood in France.
 
I very much doubt that it will be postponed. Neither side will want to look like it's potentially offending the other by saying either "Don't come" or "We're not coming". But the timing is very unfortunate.
 
It doesn't look good to postpone the first State visit, no matter how ugly the reception may literally be.

Perhaps tone down most of the ceremony, but unless there's a genuine health or safety threat, I think they need to go.
 
Tricky as the situation might currently seem, this will not have been the first time that there has been a degree of civil unrest in Paris. I am sure the French state has the capability to manage and contain the civil unrest and host the King of one of their best friends.
 
I'm not aware on the news, does any of this relates to Brexit years ago? I mean, was there a change that affected the French economy, especially for those that travel back and forth using the scary underwater tunnel? Is the economy a factor on these protests?
 
Why would it have anything to do with Brexit? Macron wants to raise the state retirement age from 62 to 64 because the population is ageing and it's becoming difficult to fund state pensions. The UK and a lot of other countries have increased the state retirement age for the same reason, but the change is very unpopular in France. He has enforced the change without a vote in parliament.

I still think that the state visit will go ahead more or less as planned. It would be extremely embarrassing for Macron to cancel the state banquet.
 
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I see no reason for the State Visit to be postponed. Macron's government won the no-confidence vote, the motion as passed, and the French are very upset (quell surprise). The French authorities are very used to, and experienced, dealing with civil unrest and protesting. I full expect them to be able to manage with State Visit with limited interruptions. I also full expect Macron to continue to portray himself as a strong and confident leader which cancelling a State Visit would not do.
 
I see no reason for the State Visit to be postponed. Macron's government won the no-confidence vote..

Speaking of Macron: He and King Charles could meet at Versailles! It is royal and outside of Paris...

Never underestimate the fury of the French street!
 
Speaking of Macron: He and King Charles could meet at Versailles! It is royal and outside of Paris...

Never underestimate the fury of the French street!
The optics of the King and Queen Consort of the United Kingdom partying at Versailles while the streets of Paris are burning would be catastrophic.
 
I'm not aware on the news, does any of this relates to Brexit years ago? I mean, was there a change that affected the French economy, especially for those that travel back and forth using the scary underwater tunnel? Is the economy a factor on these protests?

The French Government used the Constitutional (absolutist royal) prerogative to enforce a new law through Parliament despite a lack of a majority. Due to this move the French age of retirement has raised from 62 to 64 years, which still is laughably low in comparison with the age of retirement in most European countries.

But the French, of course and quite predictably, do not accept this "undemocratic" enforced legislation (which was not the first time for Macron). So they jump unto the streets to protest but it will be in vain. No way that the age of 64 will be reversed to 62, also not when the opposition would win Elections: the State of France simply no longer can afford an age of retirement on 62 while the life expectancy of the population only raises, meaning a gigantic financial burden.

But France is an enormous country and Paris is a metropole. Protests near the locations of the State Visit will not necessarily disrupt the event. Look at the annual scenes in Oviedo where your royal family is yelled, booed, jeered by anti-royalists but the Premios Príncipe de Asturias have always continued in any way. This will not be different in Paris.

President Macron is due to bring a State Visit to the Netherlands . Undoubtedly we will see protesters there as well, probably also whistles, yells, boos and middle fingers. But that is life. Just remain stoic and continue. Both Macron as well King Charles (or other Kings) are used to protests and insults.
 
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Speaking of Macron: He and King Charles could meet at Versailles! It is royal and outside of Paris...

Never underestimate the fury of the French street!

Precisely

The optics of the King and Queen Consort of the United Kingdom partying at Versailles while the streets of Paris are burning would be catastrophic.

A state banquet in the Hall of mirrors at Versailles is indeed planed on monday evening ...

But that is life. Just remain stoic and continue. Both Macron as well King Charles (or other Kings) are used to protests and insults.

From what i heard, and what i know ( because i live in Paris and let's say for professional reasons), the level of worriness surrounding that visit is clearly well above the "normal". The timing is way too unfortunate. "Versailles" was trending on the French twitter yesterday, and not in the good way ...
 
Precisely



A state banquet in the Hall of mirrors at Versailles is indeed planed on monday evening ...



From what i heard, and what i know ( because i live in Paris and let's say for professional reasons), the level of worriness surrounding that visit is clearly well above the "normal". The timing is way too unfortunate. "Versailles" was trending on the French twitter yesterday, and not in the good way ...

To put things in perspective: the royal limousine with (now) the King and Queen Camilla herself has been attacked by protesters, back in 2010. In the very own capital of London.

So they have "experience": video.

During that attack one of the protesters managed to hit Camilla: link.
 
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Calls to cancel the visit are intensifying this evening, as the staff of the Mobilier National, in charge among others of putting national flag, red carpets and furnishing Versailles for the State Banquet, has decided to go on strike.

A statement from the Elysée palace confirming, or not, the visit is expected in the following hours.
 
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Macron is going to look like an absolute clown if he has to cancel the visit. It'll be extremely embarrassing for him.
 
I hope the visit is not cancelled, it would be bad for France's image.
 
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