During his visit to France, King Charles III pledged to do everything he could to strengthen France-UK ties, and proposed that the “indispensable” partners collaborate on addressing the climate emergency with a new version of the 1904 Entente Cordiale pact.
King Charles III on Thursday pledged to do everything he could to strengthen the relationship between France and Britain, suggesting the “indispensable” partners could also tackle the climate emergency jointly.
In a speech at the French Senate on the second day of a three-day visit to France that London hopes will tighten post-Brexit relations, Charles deftly mixed English and French, winning a standing ovation from the lawmakers.
He recalled his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whom he succeeded upon her death one year ago, describing her legacy for France-UK relations as a “golden thread which will forever shine brightly” and saying the royal family were “moved beyond measure” by tributes to her from France.
“For the time that is granted to me as King, I pledge to do whatever I can to strengthen the indispensable relationship between the United Kingdom and France,” he said.
He suggested that France and Britain should team up to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies with a new version of the 1904 Entente Cordiale pact, which sealed the friendship between Paris and London.
He also vowed that London and Paris were “steadfast in our determination Ukraine will triumph” in fighting the Russian invasion.
“Our alliance and our resolve are as important as ever. Together, we stand in resolute solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”
Charles’s speech at France’s upper house of parliament was the diplomatic high point of the day that followed Wednesday’s banquet at the Versailles Palace hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.
He will later visit the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, home to the French national stadium used for the current Rugby World Cup and the Olympics next year, where he is expected to see residents and sports stars.
Also heading to the Ile de la Cite on the river Seine, Charles, a keen gardener who once admitted he talked to his plants, will tour a flower market named after Queen Elizabeth II on her last state visit in 2014.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
