The British Royal Family will host President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle on their State Visit to France tomorrow, which is the latest in centuries of French State Visits to Britain!
British Royal Visits to France
King Louis Philippe was the first reigning French King to make a State Visit to the United Kingdom since the 14th century, with a State Banquet at Windsor Castle and an Investiture into the Order of the Garter during the week-long State Visit.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert hosted Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France at Windsor Castle in 1855, with a Ball at Windsor Castle, a Gala Performance at Covent Garden, a Concert at Buckingham Palace, as well as a the Investiture of the Emperor by Queen Victoria (wearing her Regal Circlet) into the Most Noble Order of the Garter, while the Prince Consort, Empress (in her Pearl Tiara), Prince of Wales, and Princess Victoria watched.
King Edward VII hosted President Émile Loubet on a State Visit in July 1903, while President Armand Fallières was received on a State Visit to Britain in May 1908, after the signing of the Entente Cordiale.
King George V and Queen Mary received President Raymond Poincaré on a State Visit in June 1913 while President Gaston Doumergue made a State Visit to Britain in May 1927.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth hosted the French President and Madame Lebrun on their State Visit to Britain in 1939, reaffirming the Entente Cordiale months before the outbreak of the Second World War and after the King and Queen’s landmark 1938 State Visit to France. On the second evening of the State Visit, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (wearing Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara) joined President and Madame Lebrun (in the Cartier Flower Tiara) for a Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
Queen Mary (wearing the Delhi Durbar Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Teck Turquoise Tiara), The Duke and Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (wearing the Harewood Scroll Tiara), the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara), Lady Patricia Ramsay (wearing her Diamond Tiara), Princess Helena Victoria (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and the Marquess and Marchioness of Carisbrooke (wearing the Queen Victoria’s Strawberry Leaf Tiara)
There was also a spectacular Banquet hosted by the Foreign Office at which the King and Queen (in Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara) joined President and Madame Lebrun alongside members of the Real Family: Queen Mary (wearing the Vladimir Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Kent (wearing her Pearl Bandeau Tiara), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (in the Harewood Fringe Tiara and her Emerald Necklace), the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara), Princess Helena Victoria (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and the Duchess of Beaufort (wearing her Pearl and Diamond Bandeau).
The British Royal Family hosted French President Vincent Auriol and Madame Auriol on their State Visit to the United Kingdom in 1950, with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (wearing her Crown) holding a spectacular State Banquet in honour of President Vincent Auriol and Madame Auriol, following which the party viewed fireworks from the Balcony of Buckingham Palace, joined by Princess Elizabeth (in the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara), the Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent Pearl Bandeau).
The following evening, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (wearing the Oriental Circlet Tiara and Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Parure) joined President and Madame Auriol for a glittering Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, alongside Princess Elizabeth (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and her City of London Fringe Necklace), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), the Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (in her Fringe Tiara), Lady Patricia Ramsay (wearing her Diamond Tiara), the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), the Marquess and Marchioness of Carisbrooke (wearing the Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara)
At the end of the State Visit, President Vincent Auriol and Madame Auriol held a Banquet for the King, Queen (wearing the Greville Tiara) and the British Royal Family at the French Embassy in London.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh hosted President and Madame de Gaulle on their State Visit to Britain in 1960, with the Queen (wearing the Vladimir Tiara) holding a State Banquet at the Palace, which was followed by fireworks from the balcony, joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Queen Mother (wearing the base of her Crown), Princess Margaret (wearing Marie Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau), the Duchess of Gloucester (in the Teck Turquoise Tiara), the Duchess of Kent (wearing her Kent Festoon Tiara) and Princess Alexandra (in the Kent Circles Tiara), Lady Patricia Ramsay (in her Diamond Tiara), and Lord Mountbatten. An incident from the Banquet:
Once, as the famed French President General Charles de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne were having dinner at Buckingham Palace shortly before the end of his tenure, somebody asked Madame de Gaulle what she was most looking forward to after her retirement. Madame de Gaulle answered, in a strong French accent: “A penis!” Blank stares. Until the Queen rescued the situation by translating: “Ah, happiness.”
The following evening, the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem with the King George VI Sapphire Suite), President de Gaulle, the Duke of Edinburgh, Madame de Gaulle, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (in the Greville Tiara) attended a glittering Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Other royal attendees included Princess Margaret (wearing the Lotus Flower Tiara), Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Teck Turquoise Tiara and Parure), the Duchess of Kent (wearing the Cambridge Sapphire Parure), and Princess Alexandra (in Queen Mary’s Crochet Bandeau).
On the final evening of the State Visit, the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara), Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret (in the Cartier Halo Tiara), Antony Armstrong Jones, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara), and Princess Alexandra were pictured attending the Return Banquet hosted by President and Madame de Gaulle at the French Embassy in London.
The British Royal Family host French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Madame Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing on this State Visit to Britain in 1976, with a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace held by the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara) with the Queen Mother, (wearing the Greville Tiara), Princess Margaret (wearing the Lotus Flower Tiara), Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), the Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent Crochet Bandeau) and Prince Michael of Kent.
The Queen (wearing the Vladimir Tiara and Cambridge Emerald Parure) also joined the President and First Lady for a Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
The Royal Family also received President and Madame Mitterrand on their State Visit in 1984, with a State Banquet held by the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara), Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Mother, (wearing the Greville Tiara) and extended Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.
President Mitterrand also held a Return Banquet for the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Godman Emerald Necklace) and Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra (in the Ogilvy Tiara) and Sir Angus.
The Queen (in the Vladimir Tiara) hosted President and Madame Chirac on their State Visit to Britain in 1996, joined by Princess Anne (wearing her Diamond Festoon Tiara), Princess Margaret (in the Lotus Flower Tiara) and Princess Michael of Kent (wearing the Kent Festoon Tiara).
President Chirac also held a Return Banquet for the Queen (wearing the Belgian Sapphire Tiara) and Royal Family at the French Ambassador’s Residence in London.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh hosted a Gala Dinner in honour of the French President Jacques Chirac and Madame Chirac at Windsor Castle in 2004, to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.
The Queen hosted President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni of France during their State Visit to Britain, with a State Banquet at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen (wearing the Burmese Ruby Tiara) and Duke of Edinburgh, alongside the Duchess of Cornwall (in the Greville Tiara), Princess Royal (wearing her Diamond Festoon Tiara), Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), Duke of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (wearing the Kent Festoon Tiara).
Day One
- The Prince and Princess of Wales will greet President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at RAF Northolt and travel with them to Windsor
- King Charles and Queen Camilla will receive President Emmanuel Macron and the First Lady in an Official Welcome Ceremony at Windsor before a Carriage Procession to Windsor Castle, where there will be an Guard of Honour and a Lunch.
- In the afternoon, the President and Mrs Macron will travel from Windsor to Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before a visit to the Palace of Westminster to address parliamentarians and peers from the Royal Gallery.
- In the evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla will hold a State Banquet in honour of President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle.
Day Two
- The President of France and Madame Macron will pay a private visit to the Tomb of Queen Elizabeth II at St. George’s Chapel.
- King Charles IlI will show President Macron the Windsor Castle Gardens and ongoing work around biodiversity.
- King Charles and Queen Camilla, with President and Madame Macron, will see a Charabanc carriage from the Royal Mews given to Queen Victoria by King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844.
- After a formal farewell at Windsor Castle, President and Madame Macron will travel to London for lunch with the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, at 10 Downing Street.
- The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will accompany President and Madame Macron to a banquet at the Guildhall in the City of London, given by the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara
Plunket Tiara
Five Aquamarine Tiara
Imperial State Crown
George IV State Diadem
Necklaces
Coronation Necklace and Earrings
The Cambridge Emerald Parure
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace
King George VI Sapphire Suite
Queen’s Three-Strand Pearl Necklace
King George VI Festoon Necklace
Queen’s South African Diamonds
Queen’s City of London Fringe Necklace
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
Greville Ruby Necklace
Queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker
Kent Amethyst Parure
Queen’s Emerald Tassel Suite
Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker
Greville Emerald Necklace
Queen’s Dubai Sapphire Suite
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
