"The Royal Couple will be accompanied by a large Danish business delegation focusing on European resilience in the areas of defence, energy and health. The delegation consists of 55 Danish companies and will begin the visit with an economic forum, sector-specific visits and partnership events with French stakeholders.
The state visit also highlights the cultural ties between the countries. The royal couple will visit the weaving mills at La Manufacture des Gobelins, where the tapestries for Koldinghus are made, as well as the reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral. The Queen will also visit a school where the Mary Foundation's anti-bullying program is being implemented.
The Royal Couple will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde, and Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard, all of whom will participate in various activities during the state visit."
Program
Monday, March 31
Arrival at Paris-Orly Airport 2:30 PM
The Royal Couple arrives at Paris-Orly Airport.
Official reception and welcoming ceremony at Les Invalides 16:00
The official welcoming ceremony will take place in the Court d'Honneur at the Hôtel National des Invalides – also known as Les Invalides. The Royal Couple will be received by President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at a military ceremony, marking the official start of the state visit.
Upon arrival, the Danish and French national anthems are played, after which the King and President inspect the guard of honor. The French presidential couple are then introduced to the Danish delegation, and the Royal Couple greets the French delegation.
The Hôtel des Invalides houses museums and monuments, all relating to France's military history
Escort to the Élysée Palace 16.35
The Royal Couple is escorted by La Garde Républicaine to the official residence of the President of France, the Élysée Palace. La Garde Républicaine is a unit of the French Gendarmerie, particularly known for its cavalry corps.
Arrival and official welcome at the Élysée Palace 16.45
The Royal Couple arrive at the Élysée Palace escorted by La Garde Républicaine. Upon arrival, the Royal Couple and the Danish delegation are received by the Presidential Couple on the steps of the Palace.
Gifts and decorations will be exchanged in the Salon des Portraits, after which a courtesy audience will be held in the Salon Pompadour with the President and the First Lady. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen and Denmark's Ambassador to France and Monaco, Hanne Fugl Eskjær, will also participate in the meeting, where bilateral relations and cooperation will be discussed.
Gala dinner at the Élysée Palace 20:00
The French presidential couple will host a gala dinner in honor of the Royal Couple. During the dinner, the President will welcome the King, after which the King will give a speech. Musical entertainment will be provided by the French National Guard.
Tuesday, April 1
Visit to the Manufacture des Gobelins 09.35
The Royal Couple visits the historic tapestry weaving factory Manufacture des Gobelins. The workshop was founded in 1601 and is known for producing some of the world's most famous tapestries and textiles.
The focal point of the visit is the 16 tapestries that were commissioned for Koldinghus in 2018, and which will be cut from the looms during the presence of the Royal Couple and can thus be seen in their full extent for the first time.
Later this year, the tapestries will be exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris before becoming part of the permanent exhibition at Koldinghus.
Official opening of the Economic Forum 11:00
The Franco-Danish economic forum France-Denmark: A European Partnership for a Resilient Future will be held at Palais Brongniart. The Royal Couple will participate in the official opening, where the King will give a speech.
The conference aims to create the best possible platform for networking between the Danish business delegation and their commercial and political partners in France under the common theme of economic resilience.
Meeting with French Prime Minister François Bayrou 12:00
The King arrives at the Hôtel de Matignon via the Palace's garden, Jardin de Matignon, which is known for its elegant French garden architecture. Prime Minister François Bayrou receives the King on the steps of the Palace, after which a short meeting is held. The Hôtel de Matignon is the official residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of France.
Visit to Ecole Maternelle Dussoubs 12.00
The Queen and the Mary Foundation visit the Ecole Maternelle Dussoubs. Students and teachers at the school have recently become part of the Mary Foundation's Bullying Free program, and during the visit, The Queen will gain insight into the French experience of working with the program.
Ecole Maternelle Dussoubs is a public school for children between the ages of three and six.
Lunch with the President of the Senate 13:00
The King is received in the Senate by the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher. The Senate is one of the two chambers of the French parliament, the other being the National Assembly. The Senate is housed in the historic Palais du Luxembourg in Paris and serves both as the Senate's meeting room and as an important symbol of French parliamentarism.
Denmark's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, will also participate in a joint lunch.
Partnership Event at Palais Brongniart 14.20
In Palais Brongniart, where the King and Queen officially opened the Economic Forum conference earlier in the day, Danish and French companies will present their work to the King and Queen. The short meetings with the companies will take place in three tracks:
The King meets 16 companies with a focus on defense.
The Queen meets 16 companies with a focus on health.
The royal couple each meet 11 companies with a focus on green energy.
Visit to the Grand Palais 4:00 PM
The Queen will visit one of Paris' most iconic cultural institutions, the Grand Palais, where the exhibition 'Tapisseries Royales' presents French expertise in tapestry weaving. Later in the year, the exhibition will also house the modern Danish contributions to tapestry art, which The Royal Couple got to see up close during their visit to the Manufacture des Gobelins earlier in the day.
The Grand Palais was built for the World Exhibition in 1900 and is known for its beautiful combination of classical and modern architecture with a magnificent glass and steel structure.
Return dinner at Le Grand Hôtel 19.00
The Royal Couple invites the members of the delegation and selected French and Danish guests to a return dinner at Le Grand Hôtel. The return dinner celebrates French-Danish relations in diplomacy, culture, politics and business.
Wednesday, April 2
Reception by the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo 09.15
In the courtyard in front of the Paris City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), the Royal Couple is received by Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Flanked by the Garde Républicaine, the Royal Couple and the Mayor then stroll down to the Seine, where the delegation boards the electric boat The Mistinguett.
During the cruise on the Seine, an energy conference will be held, where The Royal Couple will be introduced to Paris' green transition in transport, heating, cooling and electricity. During the boat trip, Mayor Anne Hidalgo will also present the city's initiatives to address climate challenges.
Visit to the defense company KNDS 10.45
The King visits KNDS France, one of the largest defense companies in Europe. During the visit, the King will be introduced to advanced military solutions and concrete collaborations between Denmark and France within the defense industry.
Visit to Hôpital Foch 10.45
The Queen will visit Hôpital Foch, where there will be a tour and presentation of the hospital's research and technological innovations within the healthcare sector.
Visit to the Assemblée Nationale 12:00
The Royal Couple arrive at the French National Assembly and are received by the President of the Assemblée Nationale, Yaël Braun-Pivet. After a short meeting and signing of the guest book, the Royal Couple are given a tour of the National Assembly's newly renovated library.
The Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale was founded in 1796 and houses one of France's most significant collections of legal, political and historical works.
Visit to Notre-Dame de Paris 15.00
The Royal Couple will be given a tour of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has been a symbol of French culture and history since its construction in the 12th century. The visit will focus on the extensive restoration work the cathedral has undergone since the devastating fire in 2019.
The reconstruction of Notre-Dame is a global collaboration in which architects, engineers and craftsmen have restored the cathedral using traditional methods and materials to preserve the authenticity of the structure. The cathedral reopened in December 2024.
The visit to Notre-Dame also marks the end of the state visit.
Efter indbydelse fra H.E. Republikken Frankrigs Præsident Emmanuel Macron aflægger D.M. Kongen og Dronningen den 31. marts – 2. april 2025 statsbesøg til Frankrig. Kongen og Dronningen re...
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