King Charles is to host French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the UK from July 8-10, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The French leader and his wife Brigitte Macron will stay at Windsor Castle and will be feted with a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence.
Buckingham Palace said: “The President of the French Republic, His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Mrs Brigitte Macron, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 8th July to Thursday 10th July 2025.
“The President and Mrs Macron will stay at Windsor Castle.”
While a date has not yet been announced for President Donald Trump’s second state visit, he is widely expected to travel to the UK in September after Sir Keir Starmer extended an invitation earlier this year on a trip to the White House.
The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023.
The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when President Nicolas Sarkozy also stayed at Windsor as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s guest.
President Trump’s upcoming state visit breaks from tradition as second-term US presidents are not usually offered a state visit. Instead they are invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle.
He said of the honour: “They’re going to do a second, as you know, a second fest… that’s what it is: a fest, and it’s beautiful, and it’s the first time it’s ever happened to one person.
“And the reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour… I’m a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William, we have really just a great respect for the family.
“And I think they’re setting a date for September.”
Just last week the UK struck an economic deal with the US leader to cut tariffs on car exports and reduced tariffs on steel and aluminium, while keeping a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most goods.
The King’s unprecedented invitation to the US leader proposed a meeting to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral, both in Scotland, where Mr Trump’s mother was raised.
Mr Trump’s last state visit was in 2019 where he and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, met the late Queen.
A state visit usually begins with a ceremonial welcome from the monarch and other members of the Royal Family to the visiting Head of State, which takes place on Horse Guards Parade.
A state banquet takes place on the first night, usually at Buckingham Palace, with around 150 guests invited based on their cultural, diplomatic or economic connections to the country being hosted. Prior to dinner, the King makes a speech and proposes a toast to the visiting Head of State, who returns a toast to His Majesty.
As well as meeting the King and Queen, the visiting Head of State will meet the prime minister, as well as government ministers and leaders of the main political parties.
The two state visits are set to take place at Windsor Castle due to ongoing refurbishments at Buckingham Palace.
