King and Queen to host French President Macron and wife Brigitte for three-day state visit

French President Macron to begin three-day state visit to UKpublished at 10:11 British Summer Time

10:11 BST

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King and Queen Camilla are set to welcome Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, as they arrive for a three-day state visit to the UK today.

The French president will address both MPs and peers during a speech to the Houses of Parliament, before a state banquet later today – where King Charles is expected to say the UK and France must stand united in the face of a “multitude of complex threats”.

Windsor Castle will take on the bulk of the hosting duties, while Buckingham Palace undergoes renovations, with the visit set to feature plenty of pomp and pageantry – think gun salutes, carriages, and dishes served on fancy china.

But it’s not all ceremony – state visits are a key tool of UK soft power, and there will be business to discuss.

Macron is the first European leader to attend a state visit to the UK since Charles III was crowned, and since the UK left the EU.

The French leader is expected to attend a meeting of, what UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called, the “coalition of the willing” – an informal group of nations working to help Ukraine.

The trip will culminate with a UK-France summit, with Downing Street reportedly hoping Macron’s government will provide more support to stop people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

We’ll have all the latest right here, so stick with us.