What rejection? The Macrons are all smiles as they wave to crowds during royal carriage procession through Windsor after putting awkward arrival behind them

Emmanuel Macron moved on from his awkward arrival with wife Brigitte in Britain today as he enjoyed a carriage procession through Windsor with the Royal Family.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales travelled with the Macrons through the town and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did on his visit in 2008.

The King and Mr Macron waved from the 1902 State Landau to crowds gathered on the streets, followed by Camilla and Mrs Macron in the Semi-State Landau.

Earlier, Mr Macron appeared to be ignored by his wife when he offered her a hand off a plane at RAF Northolt as they arrived in Britain for their three-day state visit.

The visiting leader was being welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales after disembarking his jet before the First Lady at the base in West London.

As his wife walked down the steps towards the waiting royals, who were greeting the couple on behalf of the King, President Macron held out a helping hand.

But Mrs Macron appeared to ignore it, instead holding the handrail as she walked down – leaving him to awkwardly drop his hand, before giving Kate’s hand an air kiss.

Minutes later, the Macrons were seen in a car waiting to leave the base – and relations appeared frosty, with Mrs Macron looking at her phone after getting it out of her bag.

It comes after Mrs Macron sparked a storm in May when she was seen pushing her husband’s face away with both hands before they disembarked a plane in Vietnam.

The president dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as horseplay, but it caused a huge stir in France, with daily Le Parisien newspaper asking: ‘Slap or ‘squabble’?’

This afternoon, the King and Mr Macron took a carriage procession through Windsor, followed by the Queen and Mrs Macron.

The third carriage, the Ascot Landau, carried William and Kate who accompanied France’s armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu and French culture minister Rachida Dati.

The final two Ascot Landau carriages ferried officials including Helene Duchene, the French ambassador to the UK, and General Fabien Mandon, chief of the military staff.

The processional route, lined through the town by the armed forces, took in Datchet Road, Thames Street High Street, Park Street, Cambridge Gate, George IV Gateway to the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

When the procession swept into the castle, an array of military units were in position waiting to take part in the ceremonial welcome.

Central was the guard of honour formed by two of the British Army’s oldest regiments: Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and F Company Scots Guards with the state colours of the regiments.

Mr and Mrs Macron were joined by the King and Queen on a dais, with William and Kate stood nearby.

As the President and King stood waiting for their wives to join them, they shared a few words and Mr Macron warmly touched the King’s back.

The pomp and pageantry featured the Military Knights of Windsor by the castle’s sovereign’s entrance, a detachment of the Household Cavalry nearby and outside the equerries’ entrance was the King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard.

After the royal salute was given by the soldiers on parade and the French national anthem was played, Major Jake Sayers, captain of the guard of honour, spoke in French to President Macron.

He told the visiting head of state: “Your excellency, the guard of honour of the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards is present and ready for your inspection.”

The French leader was joined by the King as he walked past the guardsmen formed in two lines on the quadrangle of Windsor Castle, as the Massed Band of the Grenadier Guards and the Scots Guards played L’Entente Cordiale.

Earlier, William and Kate greeted the Macrons at about 11.30am and travelled with them to Windsor to meet the King and Queen Camilla for a carriage procession.

The Princess was wearing a Christian Dior jacket, a hat by Jess Collett, Princess Diana ‘s old earrings and a pearl necklace from Queen Elizabeth II ‘s collection.

The Christian Dior jacket is the 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents Bar Jacket from the 2024 collection. The piece was reimagined by Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri who was inspired by the original, which was first created in 1947 by Dior himself.

The King’s Colour Squadron formed a carpet welcome party at the airfield for the Macrons, and they were initially welcomed by Helene Duchene, the King’s Ambassador to France .

After meeting William and Kate, a series of dignitaries were presented to the French couple including Sir Kenneth Olisa, the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London.

Others included Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Northolt station commander Captain Jonathan Hough along with Kathryn Colvin, Special Representative of the Foreign Secretary .

Also in the welcome party were members of the British Suite including The Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting; and Dame Menna Rawlings, Ambassador at Paris.

After the Macrons travelled to Windsor with Kate and William, Charles and Camilla formally greeted their guests on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in the town – with Windsor Castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park.

The King was seen with a small burst blood vessel in his right eye which made it look red. It is understood this happened by accident overnight, and is not related to his cancer treatment.

The King and Queen had arrived by car at Dachet Road in Windsor after travelling from the castle ready to meet the Macrons.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the state limousine made its way slowly down to the dais to the sound of the national anthem.

The Queen was wearing a bright emerald green chiffon dress by Anna Valentine and a hat by Philip Treacy. Camilla was also wearing an emerald and diamond brooch that belonged to the late Queen.

The Macrons swapped kisses and affectionate pats on the arm as they greeted one another on the royal dais in Windsor.

The King kissed Mrs Macron on the hand, while President Macron kissed Queen Camilla’s hand

The Queen and Mrs Macron, who have met many times before, talked with their heads together like old friends.

Mrs Macron greeted her with ‘la bise’ – the customary French greeting of a double cheek air kiss.

The President leaned over to grasp William’s arm as they talked, while the King reached out to Kate with a hand as they said hello.

The Princess curtseyed to the King twice for good measure, seemingly unsure that he had seen it the first time, and performed the same ritual for the Queen before kissing her on the cheek.

At one point Camilla appeared to imitate riding a horse, which made Mrs Macron laugh.

The Princess of Wales gave a deep curtsy to both the King and Queen and Camilla greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales with a kiss on the cheeck.

William, talking to Mr Macron, appeared to point towards the turret of Windsor Castle in the distance, where they will join their guests for lunch and tonight’s state banquet later on.

Finally, as the Franco-British introductions wrapped up, William kissed his stepmother Camilla on the cheek, leaning over to avoid knocking her hat.

The three couples, who stood side by side for the national anthems of France and the UK, spent a few minutes greeting a line-up of dignitaries before splitting up into carriages.

Later, the King will stress the vital partnership between France and the UK in the face of a ‘multitude of complex threats’ at the state banquet in honour of Mr Macron, declaring ‘as friends and as allies, we face them together’.

At a glittering banquet at Windsor Castle this evening, the monarch will deliver a speech, highlighting how ‘these challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time’.

But he will tell Mr Macron that Britain and France can help lead the way in confronting threats relating to defence, technology and climate change, saying: ‘Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world.’

Charles and Camilla are hosting Mr Macron and the first lady at the historic royal residence.

The King, in his toast, will reflect on 1,000 years of ‘shared history and culture between our two peoples’, including many of the royal family’s personal connections to France.

‘For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other’, he will say, and reveal how he remains ‘in awe of France’s extraordinary attributes and achievements’.

Charles will also hail the Anglo-French partnership as vital amid the many challenges of today, saying: ‘Our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, emanating from multiple directions. As friends and as allies, we face them together.’

It marks the first state visit to the UK by an EU head of state since Brexit, and will see Mr Macron address parliamentarians in the Palace of Westminster’s Royal Gallery and, on Thursday, join a UK-France Summit at Downing Street.

In Windsor today, the streets were decked out in French and Union flags in celebration of the state visit.

Giant Tricolores hang from the posts along the High Street where litter-pickers were out in the sunshine making sure the route was pristine – with roads along the route closing from 8.45am.

Security was heightened with an enhanced police presence and teams inspecting the area around the castle and checking locations such as flower planters.

Blue, white and red flowers in two large urns in honour of the King’s French guests decorate the specially constructed red-carpeted royal dais outside Windsor and Eton Riverside station.

Cleaners were seen vacuuming the steps of the covered structure, which offers a view of the castle where the famous round tower was flying a celebratory oversized Royal Standard.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said: ‘We are working closely with Thames Valley Police, the Crown Estate and other key partners, to minimise disruption to those that live and work in, or plan to visit Windsor’.

Mr Macron said his visit to the UK was ‘an important moment for our two nations’ as he promised ‘effective’ action on issues including migration.

He said: ‘The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend. Our bond is longstanding, forged by history and strengthened by trust.

‘Together, we will address the major challenges of our time: security, defence, nuclear energy, space, innovation, artificial intelligence, migration, and culture.

‘These are all areas in which we seek to act together and deepen our co-operation in a concrete, effective and lasting way.’

Mr Macron’s state visit to the UK, from today until Thursday, is the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace, in a more than a decade since that of the Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014.

State visits, which capitalise on the royals’ soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, will be hosted at Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at the London Palace and starts to affect the state rooms.

The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when the now-disgraced Mr Sarkozy, since convicted of corruption and influence peddling, and his wife Carla Bruni, were the guests of Elizabeth II at Windsor.

The arrangements are likely to form the template for US President Donald Trump’s high-profile state visit in September, but much will depend on security considerations for the US leader, who survived an assassination attempt last year.

A ceremonial welcome will be staged in the castle’s quadrangle with Camilla, William, Kate and Mrs Macron watching as the King and Mr Macron inspect the Guard of Honour.

Lunch will be hosted in the State Dining Room, after which the president and his wife, the King and Queen and members of the royal family will view a special exhibition of items relating to France from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room.

Mr and Mrs Macron will also travel to London this afternoon to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey and visit the Palace of Westminster where the French leader will address parliamentarians before meeting opposition leaders at Lancaster House.

The King and President will both deliver speeches at the banquet in the medieval St George’s Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room.

Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether Kate will attend the banquet.

The Princess opened up about her ‘rollercoaster’ cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a ‘brave face’ last week.

The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoy a warm rapport with Mr and Mrs Macron, who will stay in the castle during their trip.

Mrs Macron, 72, and the 47-year-old French president married in 2007. 

They met at the high school where Mr Macron was a student and Brigitte was a married teacher.

The visit comes a year after the UK and France celebrated 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

The Anglo-French agreements in 1904 ushered in improved relations between the two countries which had fought against each other during the Napoleonic Wars.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a ‘reset’ in relations between the UK and Europe.

Defence, growth, security, migration and French tactics on tackling small boats will be discussed, with the two leaders expected to dial in to speak to other allied nations who are looking to support any future peace deal in Ukraine.

Downing Street said this week that the UK’s relationship with France was ‘key’ to dealing with boat crossings, following reports French police officers had used knives to puncture a boat off the coast.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said this morning that tackling people-smuggling would not happen ‘overnight’ as she faced questions about whether the trade could be reduced without a one in, one out deal with France.

She said watching footage of French authorities slash small boats ‘wasn’t pleasant’ but ‘that’s action that we are supporting’.

Asked whether the one in, one out arrangement was necessary to deal with Channel crossings, she told Times Radio: ‘Well, look, we’re working very closely with the French authorities, and the visit of President Macron this week is another opportunity to continue those discussions.

‘I’m not going to speculate on the coverage of this possibility of a one in, one out agreement with France. We’ve seen in the last couple of days, haven’t we, that the French authorities are now using some new tactics to stop the boats in shallow waters.

‘We welcome that and we want to build on it. I know that the Prime Minister spoke with President Macron at the weekend.

‘We’re looking forward to further discussions this week, because I think all of us want to tackle the misery, really, that these very sophisticated international criminal gangs are inflicting through this vile trade that operates across the channel.’

She added: ‘We’ve been honest that this is a problem that we’re not going to fix overnight… So we need to tackle this from all sides.’

The UK has struck a series of deals with France over the years to increase patrols of beaches and share intelligence in an attempt to disrupt the smuggling gangs.

But about 37,000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2024, the second-highest annual figure after 46,000 in 2022.

More than 20,000 people made the crossing in the first six months of 2025, up by about 50 per cent from the same period last year. Dozens of people have died attempting the crossing.

Asked whether the hundreds of millions of pounds given to the French over the last decade to stop the small boat crossings in the Channel was ‘value for money’, Ms Alexander said: ‘We will always spend our money in the public interest, in the national interest.

‘I think that footage that we saw, whilst it wasn’t pleasant to see, in terms of the action that the French authorities were taking to cut those boats, to prevent people leaving the French shores, that’s action that we are supporting.’

Tomorrow, Mr Macron will have lunch with Sir Keir and the two leaders will also co-host on Thursday the 37th Franco-British Summit, where they are set to discuss opportunities to strengthen defence ties.

Britain and France are spearheading talks amongst a 30-nation coalition on how to support a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, including potentially deploying peacekeeping forces.

The two leaders will dial in to a meeting of the coalition on Thursday ‘to discuss stepping up support for Ukraine and further increasing pressure on Russia’, Sir Keir’s office confirmed yesterday.

They will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to the French presidency.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Mr Macron will use the visit to announce an update on his previous offer to loan the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain.

It emerged in 2018 that he had agreed to loan the embroidery, which depicts the 1066 Norman conquest of England, but the move has since stalled.

The UK Government said yesterday that it continued to ‘work closely with our counterparts in France on its planned loan’.