The King said relations between the UK and France are growing “ever closer” as he hosted Emmanuel Macron at a lavish state banquet at Windsor Castle.
The French president spoke of his confidence in ties between the countries as the pair dined alongside members of the Royal Family and some 160 guests, including Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Elton John.
Macron and wife Brigitte were earlier greeted at RAF Northolt by the Prince and Princess of Wales to kick off their state visit, before meeting the King and Queen in Windsor, while Macron also gave a speech in Parliament.
The three-day visit is the first by a French president since 2008, and the first by a European Union political leader since Brexit.King Charles, speaking in French and English, described the deep cultural, political and historic ties between the two nations before turning to the need for co-operation in facing cross-border threats.
He warned of an uncertain world, with risks of “terrorism, organised crime and cyberattacks”. And he spoke of efforts to tackle “irregular migration across the English Channel”.
The King joked about the “rapprochement” in the banquet menu, designed by chef Raymond Blanc.
“This evening, we have drunk English sparkling wine made by a French champagne house. This would have been scarcely believable to at least some of our predecessors,” he said.
There were also references to shared cultural figures – such as Monet painting scenes in London and footballer Thierry Henry scoring goals for Arsenal.
In response, Macron recalled the historical ties between the two countries and spoke about the Bayeux Tapestry returning to the UK, more than 900 years after its creation, with plans for it to be shown in the British Museum next year.
