King Charles III Vows to Strengthen UK-France Relationship for Climate Action

(CTN News) – To improve relations between his two countries, King Charles III of the United Kingdom has proposed that France and the United Kingdom work together to combat climate change.

On the second day of a three-day visit, he gave a keynote address to the French Senate and promised to do everything in his power to improve the “indispensable relationship” between the United Kingdom and France.

The British monarch also proposed a modernized version of the Entente Cordiale pact that officially bonded France and Britain in 1904 to work together to address climate change and biodiversity crises.

King Charles III’s Commitment to UK-France Relationship

King Charles suggested to the French Senate that “it also becomes a ‘Entente pour la Durabilite’ [Partnership for Sustainability] in order to tackle the global climate and biodiversity emergency more effectively.”

King Charles made a similar plea for improved relations between France and the United Kingdom at a spectacular state luncheon hosted by the French government at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night.

It is “incumbent upon us all to reinvigorate our friendship to ensure it is fit for the challenge of this, the 21st century,” King Charles remarked in a toast.

Following this, Macron said, “Despite Brexit,… I know, your majesty, that we will continue to write part of the future of our continent together to meet the challenges and to serve the causes we have in common.”

“Our relations have, of course, not always been entirely straightforward,” King Charles said in a speech delivered in both English and accented but fluently spoken French, which impressed his guests.

However, he painted a bright picture of the Entente Cordiale, calling it a “sustainable alliance.”

The King of England is scheduled to meet with locals and athletes on Thursday evening when he visits the Parisian district of Saint-Denis, which will host the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games in 2020.

An avid gardener who reportedly confessed he talked to his plants, Charles will visit a flower market on the Ile de la Cite in the Seine that honours his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

His vantage point will allow him to observe the restoration of the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral, severely damaged by fire in 2019.

One of the finest specimens of French Gothic architecture, the cathedral dates back to the 12th century, and currently employs about a thousand people to restore it.

Following the fire, Charles sent a heartfelt statement to Macron, expressing his sadness over the loss of “one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western civilisation,” referring to Notre Dame.

Macron will bid his guest a formal farewell at the Elysee Palace, marking the end of the Paris portion of the official visit.

The visit, originally planned for March but postponed due to protests against pension reform in France, is an opportunity to highlight Prince King Charles’s growing position as a world leader in the wake of his mother’s untimely passing.

Even though the monarchy was abolished and the king was executed during the Revolution of 1789, the original itinerary in Paris and the southwestern city of Bordeaux remains essentially unchanged and is full with ceremony and splendour.