Emmanuel Macron to travel to UK for state visit in July

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to the UK for a state visit in July, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The King and Queen will host the president and his wife Brigitte Macron at Windsor Castle.

The visit will take place from 8 July to 10 July.

The last state visit to the UK by a French president was in March 2008, when President Nicolas Sarkozy was a guest of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor.

The state visit will be hosted in Windsor Castle while building work is carried out at Buckingham Palace.

That means relocating traditional elements of a visit, like the state banquet, which is usually held in the Buckingham Palace ballroom.

The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023, which was seen as a diplomatic success in helping to rebuild links after Brexit.

King Charles received a standing ovation from the French Senate, after a speech in which he spoke strongly in support of Ukraine, after the "horrifying" invasion by Russia.

As well as set-piece occasions at the Arc de Triomphe and a banquet at the Palace of Versailles, the King went to see environmental projects and a food market in Bordeaux.

Overseas heads of state are invited to visit the King on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

They are a "soft power" opportunity to build relationships between countries, and often focus on trade, cultural and defence links.

Last month, US President Donald Trump suggested Buckingham Palace was "setting a date for September" for his second state visit to the UK.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation letter from King Charles in February during his visit to Washington.