France's Macron to pay state visit to Britain in July

LONDON (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a state visit to Britain in July after he accepted an invitation from King Charles, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

Macron and his wife Brigitte will be hosted by Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle just outside London from July 8-10.

The grand ceremonial event will be the first for Macron, who enjoys a good personal relationship with the British monarch. U.S. President Donald Trump has also been invited for a state visit although no date has been confirmed.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been keen to reset relations with the European Union following Britain's historic exit from the bloc in 2020.

Charles, 76, had planned to make France the destination for his first overseas visit after taking the throne following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, but a state visit in March 2023 was postponed amid protests over a pension law brought in by Macron.

When Charles eventually made the trip six months later, he became the first British monarch to address both houses of the French parliament. His speech in flawless French getting a standing ovation in the French senate.

The British royals were moved by Macron's heartfelt tribute to Elizabeth following her death in 2022 when he said: "To you, she was your queen. To us, she was the queen".

"When my mother died last year, my family and I were moved, beyond measure, by the tributes paid to her throughout France," Charles told the French senate.

British state visits, full of pomp and pageantry, usually include a carriage ride through central London and a lavish state banquet.

The last state visit by a French president was in 2008 when Queen Elizabeth hosted Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, also at Windsor.

Charles was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer early last year.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, writing by Sarah Young and Michael Holden; Editing by Paul Sandle and Kate Mayberry)