British royals’ visit underlines “indispensable relationship” with France

The British royals on Thursday made the rounds in Paris during their state visit, at one point stopping in front of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral to survey the restoration work. Other stops during the day included a speech by King Charles to the French Senate in which he praised the United Kingdom’s “indispensable relationship” with France and their ability to meet the world’s challenges, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Why are they visiting France? This is the first time the king and queen have visited France since their coronation. Charles and Camilla were supposed to visit in March, but the visit was delayed due to riots over Macron’s pension changes. They are visiting France to affirm the two countries’ relationship. Charles met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday to discuss their mutual commitment to combat climate change. Charles will also talk with Macron about the war in Ukraine and migration from Tunisia. The king and queen are scheduled to leave Friday.

Dig deeper: Read Collin Garbarino’s article in WORLD Magazine about Queen Elizabeth and Christianity.