The British royals gathered en masse at Windsor Castle on July 8 to celebrate President of France, Emmanuel Macron’s UK visit with State Banquet.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh led the senior royal contingent in welcoming the French head of state and his First Lady, Brigitte Macron. Also in attendance were Birgitte, Duchess of Glousester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
And they weren’t the only notable faces. Sir Elton John, Sir Mick Jagger and actress Dame Kristin Scott were also amongst the 160 attendees at the lavish ceremonial dinner.
Guests were served a signature cocktail at the event. “L’entente” combined British gin with French pastis and lemon curd. The drink was decorated with English roses and French cornflowers.
The menu, meanwhile, was composed by French chef Raymond Blanc, OBE, who also has a Michelin starred restaurant in Oxforshire. The meal began with a starter of summer vegetables with sage, raw tomato and extra virgin olive oil dressing.
For main, a supreme of Rhug Estate chicken with Norfolk asparagus and tarragon was served before an iced blackcurrant-soaked sponge with elderflower jelly for dessert.
King Charles toasted his guest of honour, speaking of the deep ties between their two nations – both past and current. He began in French befores switching to English. Not that it was all serious chat.
“This evening, we have drunk English sparkling wine made by a French champagne house,” the King said. “This would have been scarcely believable to at least some of our predecessors.”
President Macron also praised relationships between the two nations, recalling their shared historical ties. He then shared his confidence that they can continue to work together not only in times of turmoil but in leading research, science and education initiatives.
The Macron’s are in the UK for three days, with the visit seeing the two countries highlighting their long friendship. It is the first state visit by a French head of state since 2008, when President Nicolas Sarkozy travelled to London. It is also the first by a European Union political leader since the Brexit deal in January 2020.
During their trip, they will stay at Windsor Castle. The location was chosen as Buckingham Palace is still undergoing extensive renovations.
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