Britain’s King Charles III on Wednesday evening called on Britain and France to « reinvigorate » their friendship to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.
Arriving in France Wednesday afternoon for a three-day state visit, Charles III made the remarks during a state dinner organized by French President Emmanuel Macron in the Palace of Versailles.
Charles III hailed the « enduring relationship » between Britain and France, noting that the connections between the British and French people were « myriad » and represented the lifeblood of the Entente Cordiale signed by the two countries in 1904.
He said that it was time to reinvigorate the bilateral friendship to ensure it is fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
« Our relations have of course not always been entirely straightforward, » Charles III said, adding that the two countries have a « long and complex history ».
« In all of this, we can rely on our firm friendship, which is renewed and reinvigorated with each new generation, » he stressed to Macron.
For his part, Macron said that Charles III’s visit to France was « a tribute » to the past and « a guarantee » of the future.
Despite Brexit, « we will continue to write part of the future of our continents together, to meet the challenges, and to serve the causes that we have in common, » he said.
King Charles III, along with his wife Queen Camilla, will meet with French and British business representatives on Thursday before going to Bordeaux as the final step of the visit on Friday.
He chose France as the destination of his first state visit in March. However, the visit was postponed due to the violent protests against the French pension reform.
