King Charles III
Pledge of allegiance and appeal in the French Senate
King Charles III on the second day of his visit to France.
© IMAGO/ABACAPRESS
King Charles III spoke in the Senate of France and emphasized the close ties between the two countries – in French.
On the second day of his state visit to France, the British King Charles III. (74) gave a speech in the Senate. Similar to his stay in Germany at the end of March this year, when he sometimes spoke in German before the Bundestag, the 74-year-old now demonstrated his impressive knowledge of French. Charles used the historic moment in front of the assembled upper house of the French Parliament to swear an oath of loyalty – but he also made an appeal.
This is how “the United Kingdom will be […] will always be one of France’s closest allies and best friends,” asserts Charles, who visited the neighboring country for the first time after his accession to the throne. But said solidarity should not only prevail against “military aggression” – i.e. Russia. We must “strive together to “To protect the world from our most fundamental challenges – global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature.”
Three eventful days
The British King and his wife, Queen Camilla (76), have been on a three-day state visit to France since September 20th. The trip was originally scheduled to take place in March, but was postponed due to political unrest in France. A statement from Buckingham Palace said: “The visit will celebrate the shared history, culture and values of the United Kingdom and France.”
On the first day, the royal couple laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier together with French President Emmanuel Macron (45) and his wife Brigitte (70). Macron and King Charles then drove in a convoy along the Champs Élysées, which was decorated with flags, before heading to the state banquet.
In addition to the capital Paris, the royal couple also holds various appointments in Bordeaux. To set another example for climate protection, Charles and Camilla take the train there instead of taking a private jet. The journey takes around two hours. In Bordeaux, among other things, a visit to organic winemakers is planned.