Royal pomp and cordiality on the first day of Macron's state visit to the United Kingdom

"The United Kingdom and France must today once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference," he declared, on the first day of a three-day state visit, the first by a French president since 2008, before both houses of Parliament in the prestigious and solemn setting of the Palace of Westminster in London.

"Clearly, we must work together to defend effective multilateralism and protect the international order as we forged it after the Second World War," he added, speaking for 30 minutes in English to loud applause from MPs and Lords.

Denouncing the "resurgence of imperial impulses," Emmanuel Macron assured that Europeans, led by the French and British, "will never abandon Ukraine."

"We will fight until the last minute to achieve a ceasefire, to begin negotiations to build this solid and lasting peace, because it is our security and our principles that are at stake in Ukraine," he said.

On Thursday, the French head of state will co-chair a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the "coalition of the willing," which brings together countries committed to strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and, ultimately, building a reassurance force to deter Russia from resuming the offensive once a ceasefire is agreed.

"Long live France"

The United Kingdom's re-attachment to Europe is a good way forward, he insisted, stressing in passing that Brexit was "deeply regrettable" but that "we respect it."

He said he "supported Prime Minister Keir Starmer's efforts to restore trust" between London and the EU.

To a long round of applause, he also used English humor. "We love the monarchy, especially when it's not in our country," he said, prompting laughter, while thanking the king for his hospitality and praising the "friendship" between the two peoples.

Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, pointing to the battle frescoes on the walls of the Royal Gallery in Westminster, conceded that the relationship between the two peoples had often been tumultuous, before concluding his speech with a vibrant "Vive la France."

As a symbol of the bond between the two countries, Emmanuel Macron also announced that France would loan the famous Bayeux Tapestry to the United Kingdom. It will be exhibited at the British Museum between September 2026 and June 2027. In exchange, the British museum, which Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit on Wednesday, will loan France pieces from the Sutton Hoo treasure, one of the jewels of its collection.

The Macron couple were first welcomed in the morning by Crown Prince William and his wife Kate, dressed in Dior, on the tarmac of the Northolt military base, west of London.

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron then joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Windsor (west London), almost two years after the royal couple's state visit to France.

After listening to the Marseillaise, everyone took their places in royal carriages, which went up the main street of Windsor, decked with British and French flags, to the castle, where the presidential couple will reside.

Emmanuel Macron and the king reviewed troops together during a ceremony in the castle courtyard, before having lunch with their wives, William and Kate, and other guests.

After the coldness that has characterized Franco-British bilateral relations since the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union in 2020, the French president's state visit takes place in a climate that has warmed between the two countries, with the arrival of Labour's Keir Starmer in Downing Street a year ago.

The war in Ukraine, which has brought defense and security issues back to the forefront of European concerns, has further brought the two allies, the continent's main military powers and nuclear weapons holders, closer together.

Energy Agreement

"Our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, coming from multiple directions. As friends and allies, we face them together," the king is expected to say in his speech before the state dinner scheduled for Tuesday evening. "These challenges know no borders," he is expected to add.

On the economic front, the Elysée Palace announced on Tuesday that the public energy company EDF would take a 12.5% ​​stake in the future British nuclear power plant at Sizewell C, in eastern England.

On the political front, a bilateral summit on Thursday is expected to confirm a strengthening of cooperation in matters of defense and the fight against illegal immigration.

The French president promised "tangible" results on these two issues.

On the British side, expectations are high regarding the fight against illegal immigration, following a record number of arrivals via the Channel since January (more than 21,000).