King Charles and Queen Camilla have taken the reins on the second day of Emmanuel Macron‘s state visit to Britain – touring the grounds of Windsor Castle and visiting a horse gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The King and Queen were seen warmly greeting Mr Macron and First Lady Brigitte on a sunny Wednesday morning in the grounds of the castle after a dazzling State Banquet last night.
The personal tour of Windsor Castle’s grounds is thought to be a State Visit first, and saw the King show Mr Macron areas of work on nature restoration and biodiversity within the gardens and the wider Great Park – reflecting his personal passions.
As the King and Mr Macron strolled through the South Garden of the centuries-old Royal residence, Mrs Macron was accompanied by the Queen as she visited grey gelding Fabuleu de Maucour.
The horse, previously a standard-bearer for France‘s Republican Guard, was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and was hailed by diplomats as ‘epitomising French horse-breeding’.
It had been gifted to her in recognition of her love of horses and horse-riding. Mr Macron was also seen to inspect his gift to the late Queen, alongside the Charabanc carriage, which was gifted to Queen Victoria by King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844.
Earlier, in a private period of the tour, Mr and Mrs Macron laid flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who was laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel within the castle’s St George’s Chapel.
Mr Macron had last night told Charles of France’s ‘real affection’ for his late mother, adding that he believed the feeling was ‘reciprocal’.
‘She was your queen,’ he said at the State Banquet. ‘To us, she was the Queen.’
French President Emmanuel Macron and King Charles III in the South Garden of Windsor Castle on Wednesday morning, opening day two of the French state visit to Britain
Queen Camilla and King Charles greeted the French President and his wife Brigitte Macron warmly after an eloquent State Banquet at the castle last night
Mr Macron, King Charles, Mrs Macron and Queen Camilla stroll through the grounds of Windsor Castle accompanied by aides
The President and the First Lady of France was invited to meet Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse gifted by Mr Macron to Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Platinum Jubilee
Mr Macron was also seen to inspect the horse, which had been a standard bearer in the French Republican Guard
The King showed Mr Macron around the sun-dappled South Gardens – ahead of talks between the French President and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
A private period of the visit saw Mr and Mrs Macron lay flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured: Mr Macron and the King in the South Gardens)
Charles was seen to bid a fond farewell to Mrs Macron, kissing her on the hand and the cheek before giving the presidential couple a cheery wave as he and Camilla headed back into the castle.
The King and Mr Macron were seen to clasp hands for almost 30 seconds as they formally bid farewell.
Following the morning stroll, the French President and First Lady will dine with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this afternoon.
Mr Macron and Mr Starmer are also expected to hold crunch talks on solving the migrant crisis amid record levels of small boats making the treacherous journey across the English Channel from France – with the UK expected to provide extra funding for tougher enforcement along French coastlines.
For the morning wander, The King wore a light grey pinstriped suit with a blue tie, patterned with Greek flags, and a matching pocket square.
The Queen was dressed in a Liberty London dress adorned with an animal pattern inspired by the works of British children’s illustrator Brian Wildsmith.
Mr Macron opted for a dark three-piece suit and a black tie, while Mrs Macron wore a double-breasted off-white jacket with matching pencil skirt.
Before parting, the heads of state exchanged deeply personal gifts, with nods to the morning’s tour of the castle.
They included a 9ft oak tree sapling from Windsor’s Savill Garden Nursery, to be planted in the gardens of the French Residence in London – a reciprocal gift after Mr Macron gifted the King with an oak sapling during his 2023 State Visit to France, which was planted in the British Residence gardens in Paris.
The King bade a fond farewell to the First Lady following the morning meeting, kissing her hand
He also kissed her cheek as they returned to the entrance of Windsor Castle to part ways
Emmanuel Macron is seen bidding farewell to Queen Camilla following the morning visit to the grounds of Windsor Castle
The King, Mr Macron, Mrs Macron and the Queen pose for a photograph before they part ways
King Charles III and Queen Camilla formally bid farewell to the President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle
King Charles III and Emmanuel Macron view the Charabanc carriage, which was gifted to Queen Victoria by King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844
The Queen wore a dress patterned with animal illustrations by Liberty, inspired by an iconic British illustrator and painter
The pattern, depicting a menagerie of animals, was inspired by the artwork of Brian Wildsmith (pictured: the Queen with Mrs Macron in the gardens of Windsor Castle)
The King also gifted Mr Macron with a dozen placemats depicting watercolour scenes of Scotland and France, painted by Charles.
His third and final gift was a 1931 edition of 16th Century royal language tutor John Florio’s translations of the works of French philosopher Montaigne.
In return, Mr Macron gifted the King with a special copy of the original piano and vocal score of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande dated 1902, and a Couesnon trumpet from the French Republican Guard’s cavalry band.
In a touching nod to the King’s love of watercolour painting, he has also given Charles a personalised Sennelier watercolour set in an inscribed walnut case.
Mr and Mrs Macron are now set to visit Imperial College London to view an exhibition on AI and emerging innovators in technology before lunching with Sir Keir and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer.
Later, the PM and the French President are expected to attend a reception with French and UK businesses at the British Museum.
The First Lady and Lady Victoria are expected to have tea and tour Downing Street.
In the evening, the Macrons, joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, will attend a banquet at Guildhall where Alistair King, the Lord Mayor of London, and the president will both make speeches.
This week’s state visit has already seen its fair share of pomp and pageantry, with the King hailing 1,000 years of ‘shared history’ between Britain and France at last night’s State Banquet, which counted Elton John and Mick Jagger among its guests – alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The King alluded to both nations sharing challenges that ‘know no borders’ in a charming and wide-ranging speech at the dinner, which was peppered with French.
Emmanuel Macron winked as he clinked glasses with the Princess of Wales at last night’s state banquet
In a charming speech, peppered with French, King Charles referenced how Windsor Castle had been built by ‘my ancestor – and your sometime countryman – William, Duke of Normandy’, with a tactful reference to the fact that he had just taken over the country by conquest
Pictured: Queen Camilla and King Charles with France’s President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte arriving for the State Banquet
The banquet for France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at Windsor Castle
France’s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the banquet at Windsor Castle
The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured in attendance at Tuesday evening’s state banquet at Windsor
Royal sources have been keen to stress that his remarks were not intended to be interpreted as an allusion to the two countries’ ongoing struggle to curtain the small boats crisis in the Channel – but instead a ‘multitude’ of shared concerns.
These include climate change, defence, technology and the nations’ ongoing support of Ukraine as it continues to fight back against Russia’s invasion.
‘The answer (to these challenges) lies in partnership, and we – France and Britain – must help to lead the way,’ the King said.
‘Allow me to propose a toast to France and to our new Entente. An Entente not only past and present, but for the future – and no longer just cordiale, but now amicable.’
Earlier, Mr Macron had told Parliament that France would finally adopt a ‘firm’ approach to the small boats crisis, but stressed that Britain had a role to play in making itself less lucrative to criminal smuggling gangs exploiting desperate migrants.
It was ‘legitimate’, he said, for migrants to ‘hope for a better life elsewhere’ – but said the two countries ‘cannot allow’ rules to be flouted and criminal networks to cynically exploit the hopes of so many individuals with ‘so little respect for human life’.
Yesterday also saw Sir Keir and Mr Macron lay wreaths in recognition of Britain and France’s long and storied history – and newly strengthened bilateral ties.
Wreaths were laid at the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square and at the statue of Charles de Gaulle in Calton Gardens – close to where the general set up his government in exile during World War II.
Mr Macron is expected to begin talks with Sir Keir Starmer today as Britain and France look to work closer together on solving the migrant crisis
The Prime Minister and the President laid wreaths at the statues of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle – before Mr and Mrs Macron laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, which contains the body of a British soldier found in France
Mr and Mrs Macron also laid flowers at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II during the Windsor Castle gardens tour on Wednesday after paying tribute to her at last night’s State Banquet (pictured with the late Queen in 2021 during the G7 summit in Cornwall)
The visit has seen some awkward moments – including one of the French diplomatic vehicles setting off with its boot open, sending luggage scattering
Mrs Macron also appeared ‘frosty’ as she arrived in Britain with her husband, according to a body language – weeks after the Élysée Palace was forced to deny reports she had pushed Mr Macron’s face away as they landed in Vietnam
Mr and Mrs Macron were also invited to lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior within Westminster Abbey. The Grave contains the body of a British soldier found in France in 1920 and contains French soil.
The visit has been peppered with a handful of awkward moments, including one of the French delegation’s vehicles setting off from Windsor Castle with its boot open, sending luggage scattering away.
Body language experts have also been analysing Mrs Macron’s demeanour after she appeared to reject her husband’s offer of a helping hand down from the steps of a plane as they arrived in Britain yesterday.
Analyst Judi James told MailOnline that Mrs Macron appeared to ignore her husband as she greeted The Prince and Princess of Wales, adding that she appeared ‘frosty’.
It came weeks after the First Lady appeared to bat away her husband’s face as they landed in Vietnam – since downplayed by the Élysée Palace as a harmless joke between the pair.
With talks looming today, Sir Keir Starmer hopes to strike a ‘one in, one out’ deal to send small boat migrants back to the continent in exchange for accepting asylum seekers in Europe who have a connection to Britain such as family.
Ministers believe the plan could help act as a deterrent, although they acknowledge the scale could be very small initially.
But critics have branded the idea a ‘migrant merry-go-round’, while the EU commission has intervened to raise concerns that it could cause problems for other member states.
Elysee Palace sources have been keen to stress that France does not blame the UK for the crisis. Instead, they say, the French President is looking forward to working with the PM ‘constructively on this shared priority’.
France has been seen to be engaging proactively with tackling small boats gangs, with gendarmes seen running into the water to slash so-called ‘taxi boats’ with knives to stop them escaping.
Authorities are also reported to be trialling the deployment of nets to tangle up the propellers of outboard motors on dinghies and hamper their escape into the Channel.
More than 21,000 migrants have crossed the waterway on small boats since the start of 2025 – thousands more than any other year on record.
But Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said this week that efforts between Britain and France had stopped 12,000 people from making the journey, with 600 small boats seized.
He told Times Radio: ‘There is no silver bullet for it, but that work with the French, that joint work with the French, is hugely important, and it will only deepen.’
On Thursday, the final day of the State Visit, Mr Macron will join the Prime Minister at Downing Street for a UK-France summit.
