The first state visit of King Charles III abroad will be to Paris, French government sources reported on Tuesday.
Aides to President Emmanuel Macron said the king and queen consort Camilla will travel to France at the end of March.
“Everything is ready for a visit by King Charles III to Paris,” they told Le Parisien newspaper on Tuesday.
“Behind the scenes, French diplomats are busy preparing the state visit, the most important possible between two countries, by Elizabeth II’s eldest son,” the advisers added.
The invitation to Carlos III was made by Macron at the time of the Queen’s funeral.
“I had the opportunity to invite King Charles to come to France when it is appropriate for him,” Macron said on September 16.
The visit is now scheduled for the week beginning March 27, the sources said.
A state dinner is planned at the Elysee Palace, where French first lady Brigitte Macron will meet the queen consort, according to the outlet’s report.
The National Assembly of Paris will also welcome the royal couple, as will Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
“The visit will take place when the King is not yet crowned, which shows that France is a priority for him,” the outlet quoted a Macron adviser as saying.
King Charles’ coronation is on May 6 this year.
“This visit is an opportunity to show the millenary roots of your country to ours, beyond Brexit, and to be part of the family continuity, because Elizabeth II was Francophile and French-speaking,” added the adviser.
During his visit to London for the queen’s funeral, Macron gave Charles a photo album of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Versailles in 1957.
The state visit will be accompanied by a Franco-British summit between the government ministers of the two countries.
Queen Elizabeth II was a great Francophile who made six state visits to France during her reign: five to Paris and one to Calais.
The first took place in April 1957, four years after his coronation, when His Majesty visited the Palace of Versailles, the Paris Opera and the Louvre.
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