French President Emmanuel Macron will offer King Charles III an original edition of the roots of heaven by Romain Gary, as well as a medal in tribute to the fight that the sovereign has waged for decades in favor of the environment, the Elysée announced.
The work, which won the prestigious literary prize from the Goncourt Academy in 1956, takes place in Africa and has as its central theme “the protection of the planet and, in particular, the elephants,” indicated the French presidency, confirming the information from the Daily The Parisian.
common struggle
This gift also echoes the “long-standing cooperation between the President of the Republic and King Charles in favor of biodiversity”, underlines the Elysée.
During COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021, the two leaders chaired a meeting dedicated to the “Great Green Wall”, a vast development program across the Sahel belt aimed at combating the effects of climate change and desertification.
Romain Gary, a French writer of Russian origin, also has links to the United Kingdom. He joined the Free French forces in North Africa and then in London in early 1943, where he returned as a diplomat in 1955.
symbolic medal
The president will also present the British sovereign with a gold medal, minted in the workshops of the Paris Mint and designed by the engraver Joaquín Jiménez, to celebrate his accession to the throne and Franco-British friendship.
The obverse of the medal shows King Charles III in his traditional Royal Navy uniform. On the reverse, Highgrove House, the king’s personal residence, is depicted in tribute to his interest in the environment.
A three day visit
Charles III will also plant an oak tree offered by the Domaine du Château de Versailles on Wednesday afternoon in the gardens of the residence of the United Kingdom ambassador to France. This gift also symbolizes the common fight of the president and the king for the preservation of nature, the Elysée states.
Charles III begins a three-day state visit to France on Wednesday, full of solemnity and pomp, to celebrate the relaunch of Franco-British friendship after the turbulence of Brexit.
Source: BFM TV
