The visit of King Carlos III to France, scheduled to begin on Sunday, was postponed due to the announcement of a new national day of demonstrations against the pension reform on Tuesday, the Elysée announced on Friday.
The decision has been “taken by the French and British Governments, after a telephone conversation between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to receive His Majesty King Carlos III in the conditions that correspond to our friendly relationship”, wrote the French Presidency in a statement, promising to reschedule the visit “as soon as possible.”
Buckingham Palace also confirmed this, noting that the monarch and Queen Consort Camilla “look with great anticipation to the opportunity to visit France, as soon as [novas] dates can be found”.
This would be the first state visit for the 74-year-old king, who acceded to the throne on September 8, after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Following their visit to France from March 26-29, the King and Queen are scheduled to pay a state visit to Germany from March 29-31.
The Buckingham Palace program included a flower-laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe with the president, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte, and a speech by the King in the Senate to deputies and senators.
Queen Camilla was to open the Manet/Degas exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay and then a state banquet was scheduled at the Palace of Versailles.
Carlos III would then travel to Bordeaux on the 28th to visit an organic vineyard and a place affected by the forest fires last summer.
However, in recent days, protests against the revision of the retirement age in France have turned violent, with the entrance to the Bordeaux City Hall building burning overnight.
In Paris, hooded men threw cobblestones, bottles and rockets at law enforcement – who responded by throwing tear gas grenades -, destroyed street furniture, broke shop windows and set fire to garbage bags accumulated in the streets, after more than two weeks. collection services strike, forcing the fire brigade to intervene.
The demonstration in the French capital brought together 3.5 million people, according to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), and 1.08 million, according to the police.
Source: TSF
