The terse announcement came on Friday morning from Élysée Palace: President Macron and King Charles had spoken on the phone and Macron told Charles not to come to France, that the fiery protests would be a huge security risk and terrible optics. It’s a shame, because Charles really wanted to visit Paris, the city where his ex-wife died, as the first state visit of his reign. Originally, Charles was supposed to arrive today, Sunday, in Paris and spend several days doing big, public events. He was also supposed to have a big state dinner in Versailles. But the French people and French unions are staging massive protests and setting things on fire, so here we are.
What’s particularly “interesting” is watching the British media try to make it all about Macron and not King Charles. While Macron is historically unpopular, no doubt, and he’s the one raising the French retirement age, a big reason why Macron canceled Charles’s visit is because the French protesters were turning their ire on Charles.
The King’s state visit to France was postponed amid increasingly violent protests in Paris, with graffiti daubed on a wall reading: “Charles III do you know the guillotine?” The decision to abandon the tour at the eleventh hour was taken by the French and British governments “after a telephone exchange” between President Emmanuel Macron and the King on Friday morning.
Mr Macron asked for the visit to be postponed as the prospect of him dining alongside the royals at a lavish banquet while his country burned became increasingly untenable. The state banquet was due to take place at the Palace of Versailles but Élysée sources had concerns over its links to the revolt against Louis XVI, who was beheaded.
Mr Macron said “common sense and friendship” led to the “detestable” decision to postpone the King’s visit to France. He told a press conference in French: “I think it would not be responsible and would lack some common sense if we invited His Majesty the King and the Queen Consort for a state visit in the midst of the demonstrations. So, out of friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty the King and Queen Consort, and for the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call and tell him what the situation was. Common sense and friendship led us to propose a postponement, which was detestable for the British people and for us.”
Mr Macron suggested that the new date for the King’s visit to France would be in the “early summer”. He said “We have proposed that, in early summer, depending on our respective agendas, we can together arrange a new state visit.” He said it should be under conditions that would allow the monarch to “enjoy France”.
Yeah – the guillotine references were enough to make Charles sh-t himself. Nevermind the fact that French union bosses were name-checking him and making very specific plans to demonstrate around his visit. Royal historian Tessa Dunlop said much the same thing – that this was canceled mostly due to “terrible optics”: “The last thing the French President needed was another security hazard, especially in the form of a 74-year-old working King from a country where the retirement age has already been raised to a hardcore 68 for future generations.” LOL. Dunlop also name-checked Prince Harry: “As for Charles, after a turbulent first few months as monarch thanks to Prince Harry’s verbal protests and a few frenzied egg throwers in Britain, he was not in the market for a French upgrade to tear gas, water cannon and cobblestones. But the trip’s postponement is a blow for the new King.” “Frenzied egg-throwers” – there were like three egg tossers and they all had a very rational explanation for their egg protests: they are republicans who hate the monarchy. Nothing frenzied about that.
What else… Richard Fitzwilliams said Macron had been “humiliated” by the protesters and that the Versailles dinner would have been MACRON’S “Marie Antoinette moment.” Like… it would have been a Marie Antoinette moment, for sure, but more for Charles and Camilla.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
The Prince of Wales greets the President of France Emmanuel Macron (right) ahead of their bilateral during the Cop26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.,Image: 640939985, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon 
Prince Charles meets with dignitaries from France, India, Colombia and Barbados during the COP26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Featuring: Prince Charles, President Emmanuel Macron Where: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 01 Nov 2021 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR NORTH AMERICA** 
Prince Charles meets with dignitaries from France, India, Colombia and Barbados during the COP26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Featuring: Prince Charles, President Emmanuel Macron Where: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 01 Nov 2021 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR NORTH AMERICA**
Prince Charles meets with dignitaries from France, India, Colombia and Barbados during the COP26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Featuring: Prince Charles, President Emmanuel Macron Where: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 01 Nov 2021 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR NORTH AMERICA** 
Royals Attend ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London. Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Catherine Princess of Wales and Sophie Countess of Wessex Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 15 Dec 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only** 
King Charles III, accompanied by Camilla Queen Consort and members of the extended Royal Family, attend the traditional Christmas Day morning service at St. Mary Magdelene Church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort Where: King’s Lynn, Norfolk, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2022 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK**
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort visit to Bolton Town Hall to join a reception to meet representatives from the community, as part of a visit to Greater Manchester. Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort Where: Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom When: 20 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only** 
King Charles III and the Queen Consort during a visit to Brick Lane in east London, to meet with charities and businesses in the heart of the British Bangladeshi community, and individuals who were actively involved in the anti-racism movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 08 Feb 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWlgZYV6e8SmpJqmpZq5oLnAnKmopo%2BpvK2wvqSgp5%2BPmLWivsueqpimn6mstbu%2BnKamnY%2Bstaa6vqCsoqScpMGqusSYnquZlpu2tbW%2BqaapqJWZrLa8jg%3D%3D