![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france01.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II hosts a state banquet at Windsor Castle in honor of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on March 26, 2008 (Matt Dunham\/PA Images\/Alamy)<\/p>\nQueen Elizabeth II hosts a state banquet at Windsor Castle in honor of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on March 26, 2008 (Matt Dunham\/PA Images\/Alamy)<\/p>\n
Today in Britain, King Charles III will welcome President Emmanuel Macron to Windsor for the first incoming French state visit of his young reign. Over the past 75 years, monarchs have welcomed six previous Presidents of France to Britain for state visits, and tiaras sparkled mightily during all six programs. Here\u2019s a look at the tiaras and jewels worn for six previous French state visits hosted by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n
![\"King](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france02.jpg\")
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth host a gala performance at Covent Garden in honor of President Vincent Auriol of France on March 9, 1950 (Smith Archive\/Alamy)<\/p>\n
On March 7, 1950, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Vincent Auriol of France to London for a glittering state visit. It was the second French state visit of their reign, following a pre-war visit from President Lebrun (who died, coincidentally, the day before the 1950 visit started). In those days, photography at the traditional state banquets held on the first evening of a state visit was extremely limited, often restricted only to snaps taken when the royals and their guests stepped on to the balcony of Buckingham Palace after dinner to watch fireworks displays.<\/p>\n
A photograph of the group on the balcony<\/a> taken during the first evening of President Auriol\u2019s visit reveals that Queen Elizabeth wore her coronation crown<\/a> without its arches for the banquet, paired with the Coronation Earrings and Necklace<\/a> and her own Coronation Necklace<\/a>. Beside her, Princess Elizabeth wore the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara and Necklace<\/a> with the diamond floral earrings given to her by the diplomatic corps as a 21st birthday present in 1947. Also visible in the balcony picture is the Duchess of Kent, who wears her diamond and pearl bandeau. Princess Margaret, suffering from influenza, did not participate in the visit.<\/p>\n The French state visit of 1950 also included two more tiara events. On March 8, 1950, President Auriol hosted a return dinner at the French ambassador\u2019s residence in Kensington Palace Gardens. Queen Elizabeth arrived<\/a> wearing a pink tulle gown and the Greville Tiara<\/a>. Princess Elizabeth was also in attendance<\/a>, wearing the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara<\/a>, the Diplomatic Corps Floral Earrings, the Greville Ruby Necklace<\/a>, and the Dorset Bow Brooch.<\/p>\n The final sparkling moment of the visit took place on March 9, 1950, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where the royals and their French guests watched a gala performance by the Sadlers Wells Ballet (pictured above). Queen Elizabeth glittered in Queen Victoria\u2019s Indian Circlet<\/a> and the Crown Rubies, while Princess Elizabeth sparkled<\/a> in the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara<\/a>, the City of London Fringe Necklace<\/a>, the Diplomatic Corps Floral Earrings, the Dorset Bow Brooch, and the Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet<\/a>. Also present<\/a> were the Duchess of Gloucester, wearing Queen Mary\u2019s Honeysuckle Tiara<\/a>; the Duchess of Kent, wearing her diamond fringe tiara<\/a> with her spectacular diamond girandole earrings; and the Princess Royal, wearing her own diamond fringe tiara.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ten years later, another French president arrived on British shores for a state visit. This time, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth\u2019s daughter and son-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted President Charles de Gaulle for the sparkling event. Just as in 1950, the best images of the attire worn for the state banquet on April 5, 1960, came from a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace<\/a> after dinner. Queen Elizabeth II dazzled in the pearl setting of the Vladimir Tiara<\/a> with Queen Victoria\u2019s Golden Jubilee Necklace and the Gloucester Pendant Earrings<\/a>. Beside her, the Queen Mother wears her coronation crown<\/a> (again without its arches) and the Greville Festoon Necklace<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also present on the balcony were several more family members<\/a>. They included Princess Margaret, who wore Queen Mary\u2019s Sapphire Sunray Bandeau<\/a>. Nearby, the Duchess of Gloucester also wears sparkling jewels\u2014her emerald and diamond bandeau tiara<\/a>, I believe, with its coordinating festoon necklace. Also on the balcony were the Duchess of Kent, wearing her glamorous festoon tiara with masses of pearls, and Princess Alexandra of Kent, wearing her mother\u2019s diamond and pearl bandeau.<\/p>\n On the second evening of the state visit, April 6, 1960, the de Gaulles celebrated their wedding anniversary with a luncheon at the Guildhall with the Gloucesters before hosting a return dinner at the French ambassador\u2019s official residence. Queen Elizabeth II arrived for the dinner wearing Queen Alexandra\u2019s Kokoshnik Tiara<\/a> with the Greville Chandelier Earrings<\/a>, the George VI Festoon Necklace<\/a>, and the Dorset Bow Brooch. The Queen Mother wore Queen Victoria\u2019s Indian Circlet<\/a> with a blue and white taffeta gown. Princess Margaret wore the Cartier Halo Tiara<\/a> with her diamond and pearl earrings, while the Duchess of Kent glittered in her diamond fringe tiara<\/a> and diamond girandole earrings. The Duchess of Gloucester was also in attendance, as was Princess Alexandra.<\/p>\n President de Gaulle\u2019s state visit wrapped up on April 7, 1960, with a gala performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (pictured above). The Queen arrived in all her splendor for the event<\/a>, wearing the George IV Diamond Diadem<\/a> with the George VI Sapphire Necklace and Earrings<\/a> and Queen Mary\u2019s Lover\u2019s Knot Brooch. The Queen Mother dazzled in the Greville Tiara<\/a> and the Greville Peardrop Earrings<\/a>, paired with two diamond rivi\u00e8res and the fabulous diamond sunburst brooch<\/a> she had inherited from Princess Marie Louise. Princess Margaret sparkled in the Lotus Flower Tiara<\/a> with the fringe necklace setting of the Poltimore Tiara<\/a>\u2014the jewel that would, in a month\u2019s time, be her royal wedding tiara. The Duchess of Gloucester wore the Teck Turquoises<\/a>, while the Duchess of Kent chose the Cambridge Sapphires for the occasion, and Princess Alexandra wore Queen Mary\u2019s Diamond Bandeau.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sixteen years passed before another President of France returned to Britain for a state visit. On June 22, 1976, President Val\u00e9ry Giscard d\u2019Estaing arrived in London for the start of his state visit with Queen Elizabeth II. By now, photography at state banquets was mercifully normal. The Queen (pictured above) wore Queen Alexandra\u2019s Kokoshnik Tiara<\/a> with the Greville Chandelier Earrings<\/a>, the George VI Festoon Necklace<\/a>, and the Dorset Bow Brooch for the banquet at Buckingham Palace. Also present were numerous other royals, including the Queen Mother, in the Greville Tiara<\/a>; Princess Anne, wearing her diamond festoon tiara; Princess Margaret, in the Lotus Flower Tiara<\/a>; the Duchess of Kent in the Cambridge Sapphires; and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester in Queen Mary\u2019s Honeysuckle Tiara<\/a>. The Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra were also in attendance at the banquet.<\/p>\n On June 23, 1976, the second evening of the state visit, the royals and their guests attended a gala performance<\/a> at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Queen wore a striking green evening gown with the emerald setting of the Vladimir Tiara<\/a> with Queen Mary\u2019s Lover\u2019s Knot Brooch and the Delhi Durbar Necklace and Earrings<\/a> for the event. Also present in the royal box were the Queen Mother; Princess Margaret; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (wearing Queen Mary\u2019s Honeysuckle Tiara<\/a>); and the Duchess of Kent.<\/p>\n On the final evening of President Giscard d\u2019Estaing\u2019s state visit, June 24, 1976, he hosted a return dinner for his royal hosts at the French Embassy<\/a> in London. Several royal ladies were in attendance, including the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. For the dinner, the Queen wore the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara<\/a> with Queen Victoria\u2019s Golden Jubilee Necklace, the Gloucester Pendant Earrings<\/a>, and the Kensington Bow Brooch.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The next President of France, Fran\u00e7ois Mitterrand, made his state visit to Britain in October 1984. On the first evening of the state visit, October 23, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a grand state banquet at Buckingham Palace in his honor<\/a>. For the first time in history, BBC covered the event on television. The Queen wore a bright blue gown with Queen Alexandra\u2019s Kokoshnik Tiara<\/a>, the Coronation Diamonds<\/a>, and the Dorset Bow Brooch for the banquet, while the Queen Mother sparkled in the Greville Tiara<\/a> with Queen Alexandra\u2019s Wedding Necklace<\/a> and Queen Victoria\u2019s Diamond Fringe Brooch. Also present were the Duchess of Gloucester (possibly wearing the Honeysuckle Tiara<\/a>) and the Duchess of Kent (who wore, I believe, the button tiara made from the Cambridge Sapphire Parure).<\/p>\n This state visit began to resemble the rhythms we recognize from recent programs. On the second evening of the visit, the Mitterrands attended a banquet at the Guildhall, where they were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The third evening of the visit, October 25, 1984, featured a grand return dinner at the French ambassador\u2019s residence in Kensington Palace Gardens (pictured above). The Queen wore the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara<\/a> with the Lover\u2019s Knot Brooch and emerald earrings from Queen Mary\u2019s collection, plus the Godman Necklace<\/a>, which has interesting ties to France.<\/p>\n The return dinner featured a smaller group of royal ladies in tiaras<\/a>. The Duchess of Gloucester wore Queen Mary\u2019s Honeysuckle Tiara<\/a> with its pink topaz centerpiece and coordinating jewels, while Princess Alexandra wore the sapphire setting of the Ogilvy Tiara<\/a>. The Prince of Wales was there without Diana, who had recently given birth to Prince Harry, and the Duke of Kent also attended solo. Meanwhile, the Queen Mother was away touring Venice, and Princess Margaret was on an official visit to Bermuda.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mitterrand\u2019s successor, President Jacques Chirac, made a state visit to Britain twelve years later, arriving in London on May 14, 1996. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a state banquet in his honor that evening (pictured above). For the event, the Queen wore the pearl setting of the Vladimir Tiara<\/a> with the Gloucester Pendant Earrings<\/a>, Queen Victoria\u2019s Golden Jubilee Necklace, a pearl and diamond bracelet, and the Kensington Bow Brooch. Also present were<\/a> the Princess Royal, wearing her diamond festoon tiara and diamond festoon necklace; Princess Margaret, wearing the Poltimore Tiara<\/a>; the Duchess of Gloucester, wearing (I think) the Cartier Indian Tiara<\/a>; and Princess Michael of Kent, wearing Princess Marina\u2019s festoon tiara. Princess Alexandra was also present, likely wearing the Ogilvy Tiara<\/a>.<\/p>\n The second evening of the state visit included an event hosted by another British leader: Prime Minister John Major, who hosted a black-tie dinner for the Chiracs at Hampton Court Palace. No members of the royal family were in attendance. The royals reunited with the Chiracs the following evening, May 16, 1996, when the presidential couple hosted a return dinner at the French ambassador\u2019s residence<\/a> in Kensington Palace Gardens. The Queen wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara<\/a> and the George VI Sapphires<\/a> for the black-tie dinner. The Prince of Wales, Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus Ogilvy all attended as well<\/a>.<\/p>\n A side note: the Chiracs returned to Britain in November 2004, but their trip was an official visit to celebrate the centenary of the\u00a0Entente Cordiale rather than a state visit. This visit was memorably filmed<\/a> for the documentary\u00a0Windsor Castle: A Royal Year. The Queen gave a black-tie banquet for the couple at Windsor Castle and wore the Godman Necklace<\/a> for the occasion, which also included a performance of\u00a0Les Miserables.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The most recent French state visit to Britain took place in March 2008. President Nicolas Sarkozy (and his glamorous wife, the Italian model Carla Bruni) were greeted at Heathrow on March 26 by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before traveling to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The first evening of the visit culminated in a grand state banquet in St. George\u2019s Hall inside the castle. For the dinner, the Queen wore the Burmese Ruby Tiara<\/a> with the Crown Rubies, the grand centerpiece of the Cockade Brooch<\/a>, a ruby and diamond bracelet, and a pearl evening watch.<\/p>\n Also present for the dinner<\/a> were the Duchess of Cornwall, wearing the Greville Tiara<\/a> with the Queen Mother\u2019s Coronation Necklace<\/a> and diamond floral clip earrings, and the Princess Royal, who sparkled in her diamond festoon tiara and necklace with her diamond ribbon brooch<\/a>. Rounding out the party of royal ladies was Princess Michael of Kent, who wore the family festoon tiara, a legacy from Princess Marina, and an emerald brooch that originally belonged to Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.<\/p>\n The second and final day of President Sarkozy\u2019s state visit included an evening banquet at the Guildhall in London, just as most state visits do these days. The Duke of Gloucester attended the banquet without his Duchess, so no royal tiaras were present for the occasion.<\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france03.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II hosts a gala performance at Covent Garden in honor of President Charles de Gaulle of France on April 7, 1960 (Zuma Press\/Alamy)<\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france04.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh host a state banquet in honor of President Val\u00e9ry Giscard d\u2019Estaing of France on June 22, 1976 (Smith Archive\/Alamy)<\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france05.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II attends a return dinner hosted by President Fran\u00e7ois Mitterrand in London on October 25, 1984 (PA Images\/Alamy)<\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france06.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II hosts a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in honor of President Jacques Chirac of France on May 14, 1996 (John Stillwell\/PA Images\/Alamy)<\/p>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-0708-01-france07.jpg\")
Queen Elizabeth II delivers a speech during a state banquet at Windsor Castle in honor of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on March 26, 2008 (Matt Dunham\/PA Images\/Alamy)<\/p>\n