King to host French President Emmanuel Macron on state visit to UK in July
Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte will stay at Windsor Castle from July 8-10.
The King is to host French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the UK from July 8-10, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The French leader and his wife Brigitte will stay at Windsor Castle and will be feted with a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence.
Buckingham Palace said: “The President of the French Republic, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Mrs Brigitte Macron, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 8th July to Thursday 10th July 2025.
“The President and Mrs Macron will stay at Windsor Castle.”
The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoy a warm rapport with the French leader and his wife.
Camilla embraced Mrs Macron when they met again in December in London to give out prizes at the Entente Litteraire Prize award ceremony, an Anglo-French initiative which celebrates books aimed at teenagers and young adults.
Ongoing refurbishments at Buckingham Palace mean state visits have been relocated to Windsor for the foreseeable future.
The invitation to Mr Macron, for what will be his first state visit to the UK, comes eight years after he took office.
The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni also stayed at Windsor as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s guest.
The event will be seen as a bid by the UK Government to strengthen ties with Europe and protect its economy after the turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
It is taking place ahead of Mr Trump’s invitation to meet the King, which is reportedly being arranged for September.
The Palace confirmed the French state visit was being planned before an invitation was extended to Mr Trump.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed a letter from the King to Mr Trump at the White House in February, inviting the controversial billionaire-turned-politician to make an unprecedented second state visit to the UK and also suggesting a pre-state visit trip to Scotland.
The UK struck an economic deal with the American leader last week which cut tariffs on car exports and reduced tariffs on steel and aluminium, and kept a 10% baseline tariff on most goods.
The Government is currently in talks with the EU regarding its trade and security relationship ahead of a summit later in May.
Last week, Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey said he hoped the UK could “rebuild” trade relationships with the EU after the deal with the US.
Mr Bailey said it would be “beneficial” to reverse the post-Brexit reduction in UK-EU trade.
The King, who is still being treated for cancer, has a busy run of engagements in the coming weeks, including an overseas visit to Canada to open the country’s parliament at the end of May.
