PARIS (AP) — king charles iii On Thursday, the second day of his state visit to France, he went from meeting with young athletes in a working-class, multicultural city on the outskirts of Paris to calming down in front of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral.
Earlier, Prime Minister Charles addressed MPs in the House of Lords, praising the “indispensable relationship” between France and the UK and the UK’s ability to meet global challenges, including: Russia’s Ukraine war and climate change.
Charles and Queen Camilla, who accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, visited the ongoing renovations at Notre Dame Cathedral, a day after the king said he was “absolutely appalled to see such devastation after the war.” The presentation attracted a lot of attention. The big fire that occurred in April 2019.”
Charles and his wife Camilla were not allowed to enter the cathedral for security reasons, but President Macron was seen on the upper floors of the monument applauding the king and posing for photos. I invited him to take a closer look at the entrance to the cathedral. The cathedral is scheduled to reopen at the end of next year.
Charles made several stops during the day to greet crowds waiting on the streets of places he visited, including the Paris flower market named after his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
In Saint-Denis, north of the capital, Charles chatted with young athletes and Camila swapped balls with 19-year-old French table tennis player Pritika Pavade. The area is scheduled to be used as the main venue for next year’s Olympic Games.
residents said. Royal visit to Saint-Denis It’s a welcome boost for a town with deep poverty, a reputation for crime and where many feel left on the sidelines.
“Many people are poor and it has a reputation as a harsh place,” said Yasmina Bedar, who was born in Saint-Denis and has lived there for 50 years.
“Having a real, flesh-and-blood king come to Saint-Denis only helps our image, of course,” Charles said, chatting with friends at Le Quedive cafe, where he had stopped to sit for a few minutes with job seekers. , she said.
“It’s great for the town and for us,” said Café owner Sid Ould Moussa.
There, the King also met Paris Saint-Germain Football Club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who presented him with the club’s number 3 jersey and acknowledged the club’s support for young people and communities facing hardship. I explained my involvement.
Charles and Camilla briefly visited the Basilica of Saint-Denis, home to the tombs of French kings.
In the morning, the king received a warm welcome from members of France’s upper and lower houses of parliament who had gathered in the Senate, with everyone standing and applauding for a long time.
Switching from French to English, he said the partnership between the two countries “remains extremely important as we face the challenges of this world together.” “The United Kingdom remains one of France’s closest allies and best friends.”
“Our resolve and our alliances are more important than ever” in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he added. “Together, we remain steadfast in our determination that Ukraine will prevail and our precious freedoms will be won.”
Charles called the Anglo-French Entente, a series of 1904 agreements that resolved old disputes and vastly improved relations, a “sustainable way to deal more effectively with the global climate and biodiversity emergency.” He proposed adapting it to the “Entente for Sex.”
“As we have done many times before, there is no challenge we cannot meet,” he says.
The King’s emphasis on climate change came a day after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced: Watering down parts of Britain’s climate change effortsThis includes extending the ban on new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.
Charles and Macron then attended a reception bringing together British and French business leaders to discuss funding for climate-related and biodiversity projects.
The king also met with French billionaire Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, at the British Embassy.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla held a private meeting at the presidential palace on Thursday night, concluding their state visit to Paris. There he was greeted by Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron.
The royal couple was scheduled to fly the next day to the southwestern city of Bordeaux, which is home to a large British community.
Charles will meet with emergency workers and communities affected by the 2022 wildfires in the region and visit an experimental forest designed to monitor the effects of climate on urban forests.
They will also tour a vineyard that has pioneered a sustainable approach to winemaking.
The royal couple’s trip began on Wednesday with a ceremony and ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Official dinner at the Palace of Versailles.
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Jon Lester in Paris and Jill Lawless and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this story.