Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Britain's Prince William, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are seen during a joint visit to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) in Nottinghamshire, Britain (Photo : Richard Pohle/Pool via REUTERS)
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's highly anticipated first state visit to France has been postponed due to ongoing protests in Paris.
The royal couple was scheduled to visit France from Sunday to the 29th of March, including attending a banquet at the Palace of Versailles hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement announcing the postponement, saying, "The King and The Queen Consort's State Visit to France has been postponed. Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found."
The decision to delay the visit came after the President of France requested the British Government postpone the trip, with the consent of all parties involved.
The royal couple's itinerary included various engagements in the French capital and Bordeaux between the 26th and 29th of March. However, Paris remains in turmoil as tens of thousands of French nationals continue to protest the rising retirement age. The situation escalated on Thursday, leading to authorities stepping in to quell the violence.
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will proceed with their scheduled visit to Germany next week. Their trip, which will take place from the 29th to the 31st of March, includes stops in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The royal couple will visit the Brandenburg Gate, the Komische Oper in Berlin, and St. Nikolai Memorial in Hamburg, as well as attend a state banquet hosted by President Steinmeier and Frau Büdenbender at Schloss Bellevue.
This would have been King Charles' 35th official visit to France and his 29th trip to Germany. The royal couple last visited France in 2019 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, and Germany in 2020 to attend the country's National Day of Mourning for victims of war.
