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Date: 2025-08-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00028870
STATE VISIT OF FRENCH PRESIDENT TO UK
ARRIVAL ON JULY 4TH 2025

Sky News: Banquets, speeches and migration: Day one of Macron's UK state visit


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBPZFxsURYI
Banquets, speeches and migration: Day one of Macron's UK state visit

Sky News

July 8th, 2025

8.81M subscribers ... 58,497 views ... 519 likes

#kingcharles #skynews #macron

King Charles said the UK and France stand 'ever closer' as he hosted Emmanuel Macron at Windsor Castle for a state banquet.

Earlier, the French president laid wreaths at war memorials and addressed peers and MPs inside the Houses of Parliament.

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/politics-l...

#macron #visit #politics #kingcharles #uknews #skynews #france #uk

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Peter Burgess COMMENTARY



Peter Burgess
Transcript
  • 0:00
  • And here comes the president of France.
  • 0:12
  • Over
  • 0:21
  • the events recently, the president of
  • 0:24
  • France has got to know members of the
  • 0:25
  • royal family extremely well, as he's
  • 0:27
  • received there by the Princess of Wales.
  • 0:36
  • There's much diplomatic
  • 0:40
  • responsibility now on the governments of
  • 0:42
  • both countries to use this state visit
  • 0:46
  • as an opportunity to increase
  • 0:49
  • relationships in order to make sure that
  • 0:52
  • later on the actions between the two
  • 0:55
  • nations work particularly well. The
  • 0:57
  • Prince of Wales is introducing amongst
  • 0:59
  • others the Lord Lieutenant of Greater

  • 1:01
  • London, Sir Kenna Lisa, and also the
  • 1:05
  • chief of the Metropolitan Police,
  • 1:09
  • the officer commanding
  • 1:14
  • the station at North who is responsible
  • 1:18
  • for making sure this reception works
  • 1:19
  • well, and the lord in waiting for his
  • 1:23
  • majesty the king who will be in the
  • 1:25
  • suite.
  • 1:30
  • Lord Alenbrook who is a knight of the
  • 1:33
  • garter and has been asked by the king
  • 1:36
  • with his wife to take responsibility and
  • 1:39
  • also we see there the king's ambassador
  • 1:41
  • to the to France
  • 1:46
  • Mrs. rulings. She of course has done
  • 1:48
  • much to make sure that this state visit
  • 1:51
  • works well.

  • 2:00
  • The president of France speaks English
  • 2:02
  • extremely well, but all those gathered
  • 2:03
  • here are equally well-versed in it. the
  • 2:08
  • commander of the
  • 2:11
  • King's Color Squadron
  • 2:13
  • giving the salute as those from the
  • 2:17
  • King's Color Squadron now provide this
  • 2:21
  • carpet lining party to the Royal Car and
  • 2:24
  • the Prince of Wales and the President
  • 2:26
  • will travel together to the reception
  • 2:29
  • ceremony just underneath Windsor Castle,
  • 2:31
  • the state Bentley
  • 2:34
  • with the crown shield and the flag
  • 2:38
  • of the Republic of France.
  • 2:45
  • You'll notice, as is tradition, when the
  • 2:47
  • car comes to a halt, the chauffeer
  • 2:49
  • removes his hat in salute.
  • 2:56
  • It's about a 20inut journey to the
  • 2:59
  • fields below Windsor Castle where

  • 3:04
  • for many years now state visits that
  • 3:06
  • occur at Windsor Castle have the formal
  • 3:08
  • reception and ceremonial.
  • 3:16
  • There will be an observance of the
  • 3:17
  • strict timings. So they will be given a
  • 3:21
  • signal when to get into the cars and
  • 3:23
  • other members of the suite will move to
  • 3:25
  • the cars following in order to leave
  • 3:28
  • precisely on time.
  • 3:40
  • The president's aircraft, which landed
  • 3:42
  • within the last half hour, will wait
  • 3:46
  • here. And if there was a necessity for
  • 3:49
  • the president to return to France, there
  • 3:51
  • is always an aircraft ready to take him
  • 3:54
  • back.

  • 4:13
  • The president and Mrs. Mron in the state
  • 4:15
  • Bentley now with papers provided by the
  • 4:18
  • French
  • 4:20
  • aid de to the president
  • 4:26
  • and the motorcycle
  • 4:28
  • riders responsible for taking this
  • 4:30
  • procession to Windsor in place. And in
  • 4:33
  • the second car, the Prince and Princess
  • 4:34
  • of Wales as they now set off to Windsor
  • 4:38
  • where the preparations are in effect.
  • 4:45
  • So Mike Vernon starts this procession
  • 4:47
  • and the French national anthem followed
  • 4:49
  • by the British.
  • [Music]

  • 5:10
  • Heat. Heat.
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • Oh well.

  • 6:15
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • And the Royal Procession turning up Temp
  • Street and quite a steep hill up to the
  • side of the castle and a royal salute
  • from the Royal Navy, the senior service
  • who perform
  • the street liners at this part of the
  • route. And you'll see the very important
  • sand on the tarmac to help these charges
  • get up the hill. These are the scenes in
  • Windsor, sunny afternoon uh in the
  • castle. We've just seen Emmanuel Marro

  • 7:00
  • and his wife Bridget arriving there.
  • Carriages being drawn by those horses
  • through the town carrying the king and
  • queen as well. You can also see there
  • the Prince of Wales, Princess of Wales
  • who received the French president and
  • his wife at RF Northalt around oh about
  • an hour ago or so now. And you can see
  • there those carriages that had brought
  • them are being pulled away.
  • The honor guard
  • before them. Let's um take a listen to
  • our royal commentator, Alistister Bruce,
  • who is watching these events for us
  • through the course of the morning.
  • The commander of the guard of honor,
  • Major Jake Seers,
  • will step forward to the president and
  • in his very best French say, 'Your
  • excellency, the guard of honor of the
  • Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards, is
  • present and ready for your inspection.'

  • 8:02
  • And then the king will invite the
  • president of France to inspect the guard
  • bonnet.
  • The bare skin caps that are worn by the
  • household divisions
  • guards regiments were adopted after the
  • battle of Waterloo
  • by guards regiments that had taken part
  • and by the grenaders in particular. It
  • was
  • an order of dress worn by
  • the very brave French soldiers who
  • fought for Napoleon and it was a sign of
  • respect.
  • The royal salute
  • Heat. Heat.

  • 9:00
  • [Music]
  • Heat. Heat.
  • [Music]
  • [Applause]
  • [Music]
  • The recovery of the state colors
  • by the end signs.

  • 10:09
  • And the officer commanding the guard of
  • honor now prepares
  • those members of Nmean company and F
  • company Scots Guards for the inspection.
  • So he'll come forward to the president
  • and inform him that the Guard Warner is
  • ready for his inspection.
  • And the king first of all introducing
  • the officer commanding whose French
  • doubtless is being commented on by the
  • president

  • 11:01
  • as now the inspection which is for the
  • guard of honor their best way of
  • welcoming
  • the president to the United Kingdom. on
  • this extraordinarily sunny day
  • here at Windsor.
  • Well, in the last hour, the president
  • and his wife Brit were treated to a tour
  • of the Royal Collection. It's the
  • largest private collection of art
  • anywhere in the world.
  • And our royal correspondent Rihanna
  • Mills is in Windsor for us for more on
  • this. Afternoon to you, Rian. So, the
  • state visit progressing. They've now had
  • a look at some of the goodies there at
  • Windsor Castle. What's next for the
  • president and his wife?
  • Yeah, it is always amazing how much that
  • they try to to cram in, but it's always
  • about making sure that the kind of
  • visiting guests have as special a time
  • as possible and certainly when it comes
  • to this first French state visit for

  • 12:01
  • Emanuel Macarron, um they are pulling
  • out literally all of the stops. Of
  • course, usually the heir to the throne
  • would go and meet the visiting
  • dignitary. Um they don't usually have to
  • travel 18 miles in the car to go to RAF
  • Northalt. Um but Prince William and the
  • Princess of Wales made that journey to
  • make sure that um President Macarron and
  • his wife saw some very friendly faces
  • when they they stepped off the plane. Um
  • and then they accompanied them here to
  • Windsor. It's the first time that
  • Windsor has hosted a state visit in over
  • 10 years. I think for the royal family,
  • this is a really special place. It's
  • somewhere they enjoy spending time. It's
  • got that really personal touch, but also
  • I think for for Emanuel Macarron and his
  • wife and the royals as well, that
  • carriage procession along the high
  • street as they made their way to Windsor
  • Castle is something quite spectacular.
  • They are literally inches away from the
  • crowd. So, a really special moment for
  • them before they then made their way
  • into the grounds of Windsor Castle for
  • that important guard of honor. With
  • these state visits, it's not necessarily
  • what they tell us, but it's what they're

  • 13:00
  • showing us. And I think with that guard
  • of honor, you're ticking off the list,
  • those important military ties between
  • the UK and France. And also with them
  • looking at what you could call those
  • trinkets from the royal collection, it's
  • all about emphasizing that idea of a
  • shared history. And at the moment, that
  • is so important, especially when you
  • think about the run-up to this state
  • visit, all of those headlines about the
  • issues between France and the UK,
  • especially around immigration and the
  • small boats issue. I think what number
  • 10 will be thinking is how important it
  • is that they have those kind of
  • important softly softly conversations
  • between the king and president Macron.
  • What the king really has to do is make
  • Macaron feel welcome here, make him feel
  • special and they hope that will then
  • underpin maybe more difficult
  • conversations that will happen in the
  • coming days. This afternoon, President
  • Macron, he's certainly cramming things
  • in. and he's off to London um to the
  • House of Parliament where he will um
  • meet parliamentarians where he'll
  • address the Houses of Parliament. Um and
  • then it's back here for a glittering

  • 14:00
  • state banquet. The one the king had when
  • they went to France, they had some
  • really big star names. So it's going to
  • be interesting to see exactly who
  • they've invited along for this state
  • banquet. As we know, the king will stand
  • up and talk about the shared challenges
  • uh currently facing both our countries.
  • We have also stood together in calling
  • for the sessation of hostilities and
  • path to peace in the Middle East since
  • the spiral of violence began after the
  • terrorist attacks by Amas on the 7th of
  • October 2023.
  • Together we call for the release of all
  • hostages.
  • Together we've called for a ceasefire in
  • Gaza.
  • It is a matter of absolute urgency to
  • end the suffering of the ostagers and of
  • the gazins.
  • A war without end and without a
  • strategic object objective poses a huge
  • threat to the region and our collective
  • security.

  • 15:00
  • Today a demonization is occurring there
  • that can never be justified.
  • together. We are aware that a political
  • way out is crucial and I believe in the
  • future of the two-state solution as a
  • basis for a regional security
  • architecture which will enable Israel to
  • live in peace and security alongside its
  • neighbors. But I want to be clear.
  • Calling today for a ceasefire
  • in Gaza without any condition
  • is just telling to the rest of the world
  • that for us as Europeans there is no
  • double standard.
  • And as we are attached to human lives,
  • as we are attached to territorial
  • integrity, we want this ceasefire,
  • no discussion.
  • And today, working together in order to
  • recognize the state of Palestine and to
  • initiate this political momentum is the

  • 16:00
  • only path to peace
  • [Applause]
  • because since Oslo in 1993
  • With Gaza in Run and West Bank being on
  • a daily basis attacked, the perspective
  • of a Palestinian state has never been
  • put at risk as it is.
  • And the objective of a recognition
  • is not just making our duty, but this is
  • as well reopening a political
  • perspective and refusing just an answer
  • based on security.
  • And this is why this solution of the two
  • states and the recognition of the state
  • of Palestine is as well according to me

  • 17:00
  • the only way to build peace and
  • stability for all in the whole region.
  • This approach is in line with our common
  • refusal to tolerate the threat posed by
  • an Iran that poses nuclear weapons.
  • There again, we know all too well the
  • limitations of solutions based on force
  • and the temptation to bring about regime
  • change.
  • France, the United Kingdom and Germany
  • in coordination with all stakeholders
  • have the duty to bring about a stringent
  • negotiation which ensures international
  • monitoring of Iran's nuclear program
  • over the long term, thereby preserving
  • the international non-prololiferation
  • framework as a foundation for collective
  • security.
  • It is with the same coherence and
  • firmness that we must act to defend the
  • world order. In Africa, our two
  • countries have had a weighty past, which

  • 18:00
  • is why we can legitimately send a
  • message of consiliation and refusal of
  • spheres of influence, of respect for
  • economic and territorial sovereignty.
  • In the Indo-Pacific, our history has
  • made us watchdog of the freedom of
  • navigation and compliance with
  • international law which we defend.
  • Amid these upheavalss, the alliance
  • between France and the United Kingdom
  • has not faltered.
  • It has even become stronger.
  • And the procession led through the
  • Waterlue chamber by the Lord
  • Chamberlain, Lord Benyan, and by the
  • Lord Stewart, Lord Rosslin.
  • And wearing the sashes of their various
  • different nations,
  • the president of France escorted by the
  • king. The president of France is wearing
  • the order of the bath and the king is
  • wearing the order or the Leon Donire.

  • 19:00
  • The Queen also wearing the Leon Donaire
  • with Madame Macron, Prince of Wales and
  • the Princess of Wales along with other
  • members of the royal family, leading
  • members of the French suite, the Duke
  • and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess
  • Royal
  • and Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence
  • and the Duke of Gloucester.
  • Behind him, the Duchess of Glouester.
  • also each of them escorting guests from
  • France who will be playing their part in
  • getting the chance to talk and meet with
  • all those who are currently gathered
  • inside St. George's Hall as the
  • procession comes in. Each of the couples
  • escorted by members of the royal family
  • know exactly where on this table they
  • are to head to. And as soon as the king
  • arrives at his seat with the president,
  • all will be ready for the next and most

  • 20:00
  • important part of the state banquet,
  • which will be when the king welcomes in
  • his speech the president to the United
  • Kingdom. And after that is complete, the
  • French president will reply the two
  • national anthems.
  • Heat. Heat.
  • Heat.
  • Heat.
  • [Music]
  • President
  • Madame Macron.
  • the windset
  • visit
  • premier.
  • I recall with such fond memories our
  • visit to France in 2023

  • 22:00
  • when you so graciously host us, Mr. the
  • posidor.
  • Much has happened in the meantime and
  • France and the United Kingdom have stood
  • ever closer since then.
  • At this crucial point in our shared
  • histories, your visit is another
  • occasion to celebrate our deep and
  • enduring friendship.
  • And I would like to end my toast by
  • raising my glass in honor of your
  • majesty of her majesty Queen Chameleia
  • and your family. I raise it in honor of
  • the United Kingdom of this ant amikal
  • that unites our two fraternal peoples in
  • an unwavering alliance.
  • Long live the United Kingdom of Great
  • Britain and Northern Ireland. Long live
  • France. Long live Franco British
  • friendship.

  • 23:01
  • [Music]


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