7/5/2023 0 Comments King charles of france“What we would have seen with this visit, ideally, was the two heads of state of two democracies coming together in recognition of their shared values, their desire to work together, to cooperate,” Owens said. The French leg of the tour, in particular, was an opportunity for Britain to underscore the progress Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made after the antagonism fanned by his predecessors, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, said Ed Owens, an expert on Britain’s royal family who lives in France.ĭuring his six months in office, Sunak has reached an agreement with the EU to resolve the long-running dispute over post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland and signed a deal with Macron to try to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel in flimsy inflatable boats. Macron said Friday that he had asked for the visit to be delayed out of “common sense and friendship” because the likelihood of protests created a “detestable situation.” Buckingham Palace said Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, would travel to France “as soon as dates can be found.”īut decoupling the two visits dilutes one of the original goals of the trip - highlighting the British government’s efforts to improve relations with the European Union after six years of squabbling over Brexit. “It is a great shame because it was the first state visit of the king’s reign and much thought would have been given as to who should have that honor,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. While Charles will still travel to Germany on Wednesday, the decision to bypass France removes some of the sparkle from his first overseas trip as monarch, originally planned as a six-day, celebration of Britain’s links with its biggest European allies.īut with protesters promising to target royal events as they demonstrate against French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to raise the retirement age, planners had little choice but to cancel a visit that could have embarrassed the king. The government is determined to enact the legislation, which it hopes to bring in before the end of the year, but the opposition movement has vowed to continue to demonstrate until ministers scrap the reforms.LONDON - King Charles III’s international debut was deflated Friday when his trip to France was postponed indefinitely because of protests that threatened to mar events at high profile venues such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles. ![]() The government says the changes are essential to make the country's pension system financially sustainable in the future.īut the unions say the pension reforms are unfair and unjustly impact women and lower-paid workers. Hundreds of police officers were said to have been injured, as well as some protesters, including a woman who reportedly lost her thumb after being hit by a stun grenade fired by police. Translating to "breakers" in English, the anarchists are infamous for damaging bus shelters, starting fires, and smashing shop windows.Īt least 450 people were arrested across the country on Thursday. Over the last week, there have been almost nightly protests after dark in France's cities with clashes between police and the groups known as "casseurs." Police again clashed with demonstrators in the capital, charging at the crowds in the centre of the city. March 23 saw the biggest demonstrations so far against the reforms in towns and cities across France. On Thursday, the south-western city was hit by flashes of violence, with police using tear gas and protesters partially burning the 300-year-old main door of Bordeaux city hall. ![]() The next day of mass mobilization against the government plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 is due to be March 28 - when the King was set to have caught a train from Paris to Bordeaux. On Friday, Emmanuel Macron said that the visit would take place when the situation "is calmer," calling the postponement "common sense."
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