Macron due in U.K. for state visit as London tries to balance ties with Europe, U.S.

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron are due to arrive in London on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) for a state visit, hosted by Britain’s monarch Charles III and the Queen, Camilla. This is the first European head of state to be hosted by King Charles on a state visit and an indication that the ties between London and Paris, which were under strain due to Britain’s departure from the EU, have thawed. The King and Queen were last hosted by the Macrons in Paris in September 2023.

While business is transacted during state visits, the ceremonial aspects and state dinner are instruments of the host country’s soft power and used to bolster culture ties between the countries. The three-day visit will culminate in a summit level meeting led by Mr. Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday (July 10, 2025). The visit comes at a time when the U.K. is trying to balance its ties with the EU and the U.S., as U.S. President Donald Trump has overseen a downgrading of ties between the U.S. and E.U.

Also Read | United Kingdom’s Starmer convenes ‘coalition of the willing’ for second meeting to discuss Ukraine

Anglo-French security and defence ties, which are governed by the Lancaster House treaties of 2010, will be updated during the summit, as per a statement by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in France’s National Assembly. Mr. Barrot cited London and Paris cooperating on Ukraine’s defence (by leading a group of mostly European countries called the ‘Coalition of the Willing’).

He also mentioned the two countries coordinating responses on Iran along with Germany, which, according to him, paved the way for negotiations (i.e., the June 20 negotiations in Geneva). Mr. Barrot also highlighted cooperation on the crisis in Sudan. The visit will also see politically sensitive issues discussed — such as fishing and migration. The U.K. and the EU recently concluded an agreement allowing reciprocal access to fishing waters until 2038.

Also Read | European leaders consult Trump, then agree joint response to Russian foot-dragging in truce talks

On Tuesday (July 8, 2025), the French first couple will be welcomed on arrival by the Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales before being taken to Windsor Castle, just outside London, where they will be hosted by the King and Queen. The visit will include a carriage ride through the town of Windsor and a State dinner. Mr Macron is scheduled to address the U.K. Parliament on Wednesday (July 9, 2025).

Mr. Trump, who has expressed a fondness for the British Royal Family, has also been invited to the U.K. on a state visit, his second such visit, since 2019, when he was hosted by Queen Elizabeth. Mr. Trump’s second visit is expected in September, though no dates have been announced.