Here are some photos from today at Buckingham Palace. It was a special event – French soldiers were given “the honor” of taking part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the palace. It was organized specially to mark the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, which was a series of agreements signed by the UK and France to normalize their diplomatic and economic ties. King Charles and Queen Camilla were no-shows – they’re either still at Windsor Castle or they’ve already traveled to Birkhall in Scotland for the week. They sent the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, aka Edward and Sophie, in their place. Sophie and Edward hosted the French diplomats and inspected the French troops.
Edward looked fine, although he seemingly got a pretty bad haircut, one which makes him look kind of sickly. Sophie wore a maxi dress and a long overcoat. Is it really that cold in London right now? While the colors are “spring,” the ensemble looks so heavy. Meanwhile, the Ephraim Hardcastle column in the Mail is trying to make some of this sound like a snub directed at French president Emmanuel Macron. President Macron is the new Prince Harry!
Edward and Sophie’s deputising for the King at Monday’s 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale highlights the failure to invite French president Emmanuel Macron on a state visit.
With French soldiers taking part in Changing the Guard for the first time and his ambassador playing a key role, Emmanuel must be wondering when Charles will give him the nod.
His predecessors made a record five state visits during the reign of the late Queen, with every president from de Gaulle in 1960 to Sarkozy in 2008. Only Francois Hollande was never asked. Is Macron also to be denied the honour?
There’s always so much talk (in America) about how QEII met almost all of the American presidents during her reign, but they never talk about all of the French presidents she met. I had no idea she met everyone but Hollande. I looked it up – she did meet Macron several times but I don’t think she ever gave him a state visit (or he never asked). Charles and Camilla made a state visit to France late last year and it seemingly went well. So I don’t think Charles is snubbing Macron, I think Charles has just been slow to get going on the show-pony aspect of the monarchy. Charles’s first year as king should have been full of tours AND state visits. It was not and now Charles has cancer and this year will not have much traveling or any state visits, probably.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of The King, accompanied by the UK Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill and the French Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Helene Duchene, attend a Parade to Commemorate the 120th Anniversary of The Entente Cordiale Featuring: Helene Duchene, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of The King, accompanied by the UK Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill and the French Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Helene Duchene, attend a Parade to Commemorate the 120th Anniversary of The Entente Cordiale Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of The King, accompanied by the UK Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill and the French Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Helene Duchene, attend a Parade to Commemorate the 120th Anniversary of The Entente Cordiale Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, London, with France’s Gendarmerie’s Garde Republicaine taking part to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars. France is the first non-Commonwealth country to take part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, with French Ambassador to the UK, Helene Duchene, at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, London, with France’s Gendarmerie’s Garde Republicaine taking part to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars. France is the first non-Commonwealth country to take part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Helene Duchene Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, London, with France’s Gendarmerie’s Garde Republicaine taking part to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars. France is the first non-Commonwealth country to take part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Ednburgh Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Or is it a situation where they asked but Macron was busy? So now they’re calling it a snub? Anyway Sophie looks fine in her neutrals.
Just googled & found stats on Wikipedia: The Queen invited the French for state visits on five occasions, the French invited The Queen for state visits six times. Then we need to throw in one from Charles, so the Brits are two visits down. Need to get crackin’, folks! Bust out the candelabra!
At least Edward’s suit finally fits him well.
Noticed this too.
The shoulderpads are still giant though. They make him look like a child wearing his father’s suit.
Was thinking the same thing. Either he plunked down some money on a new suit, or had on old one re-worked, which might explain the giant shoulders.
I would hope a president would be more worried about what benefits his own country and not about a show pony monarchy. Didn’t France, like the US, show how they really feel about monarchy?
Mmmoommbop ! Yes! Salutations to the Statue of Liberty.
Being kind, Sophie & Edward look nice and don’t seem to be afraid of work? It was most likely work on France’s part to acknowledge them.
The sad reign of Charles III. One almost could paint him as a tragic figure. How disappointing for the French soldiers, having to perform for Sophie and Edward instead of the monarch.
Sophie’s no style icon. I like her outfit but she maybe should have gone with a single breasted coat instead of a double.
Single breasted and a shorter hemline on that dress. Her hair always looks underdone.
This is a formal occasion, whether single or double breasted it should be done up!
Is it cold here? Not really but it has been very wet and windy so wearing a long coat makes sense… fewer chances of it flying up.
Post Brexit I don’t think France really cares about us…nor Germany frankly. Why should they?
Whilst I appreciate Willi is on limited duties I do think this is something he should have done, even maybe alongside Ed and Sophie.
Sophie’s coat reminds me of the Kardashian Koat era, in which every coat had sleeves too long and in need of tapering. Just bring that coat to a tailor, Soph, no biggie.
Some British guards were taking part with French soldiers in changing the guard at the Elysee in front of Macron and the UK ambassador. So I don’t think Macron was snubbed. I think it was a nice idea to have a similar ceremony on both sides of the Channel.
Oh, that’s interesting! That’s a nice bit of symmetry & ‘entente cordiale’.
Please would someone explain to me why is Sophie taking front and centre? And why is she standing in front of Edward? Which person is the royal and which is the married in, eh? What up with that, eh?
Ooof.
Surly Gale, thank you! That was my thought when I saw this picture. How dare she stand in front of the Prince!!!!!
?? She’s not. She’s beside him on the reviewing stand–as is the ambassador, then behind him as he walks with the ambassador ‘inspecting’ the troops.
Why doesn’t Sophie’s dress fit across the bust? All that money and access to professional tailoring….
Very often, it’s just wearing a different bra. I got a bunch of new bras from a different brand, same size, and my shirts started gaping at the buttonholes. So I had to get new “old” bras to wear with some of my shirts. And plus size bras are damn expensive.
ClaireB, I think there’s more than one ‘someone’ who read the comments here and the royal women have been getting bras that fit better.
Charles and Macron apparently get on well together. Charles speaks very good French. There is a similar ceremony taking place in Paris with a contingent of UK military . Charles was due to make a state visit to France but this had to be cancelled because of his health problems.
This is the kind of ‘soft diplomacy’ that Charles excelled at as Prince of Wales. William has no such skills.
What about Scotland’s ‘Auld Alliance’ with France which predates the Entente Cordiale by hundreds of years? Of course, we don’t spend lots of taxpayer money on making up a sad event around it to justify the Royal Family’s existence.
Isn’t it the prime minister who extends the invitation for a state visit? Why are they blaming Charles for Rishi Sunak falling down on the job?
Yes, it’s the PM. I remember people were pissed off that Theresa May invited Trump for a State Visit.
It’s all to do with Brexit, England is being treat like the poor stepchild.
Maybe it’s just me but, surely this would have been an ideal opportunity for the FUTURE king to attend this ceremony? Why are “they” praising Sophie’s outfit when they should be asking: #Where’sWilliam?
Cain is in rehab, the outpatient just wasn’t cutting it.
Yeah, this is certainly one event in which you’d think that Global Statesman Bill would want to take part in.
Charles decides when and where William appears.
Except for when he goes on a bender and has to cancel unexpectedly
Nope. All Charles.
I despair for the standard of journalism most of the time. “Edward and Sophie’s deputising for the King at Monday’s 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale highlights the failure to invite French president Emmanuel Macron on a state visit.”
No it bloody doesn’t. It highlights the fact that the King has cancer and has had to step back from his duties. WTF is this nonsense?
Also, thoughts:
WHERE IS WILLIAM???
Sophie’s outfit – fine but zzzz.
On a fashion note:
Sophie has been wearing a lot of cream colored or paled colored clothing lately and the colors are doing nothing for her.
Both Sophie and Eddie look rather tanned!
They were on a skiing holiday.
Sophie always finds the cameras.
Perhaps Charles was sickly when he entered his reign and that’s why he didn’t do much the first year. He may already have had the cancer. He certainly looked unhealthy and cranky from the start, like a man who needed to go sit down or pull the covers over his head.
Well, if it has to be someone better these 2 than Willy.
Willy just looks sour no matter what he’s doing. Ugh.
So there were 5 state visits by French presidents during Elizabeth’s 70-year reign, with the first one in 1960 and the last one in 2008 – that works out to one French state visit every 10 years. This doesn’t seem like something either side is in a rush to organize.
And six state visits by the Queen to France, so 11 total for just these two countries. Seems enough.
Those folks are just earning their keep.
Wonder how many times the French soldiers and possibly the ambassador though “damn where’s a guillotine when you want one.!
Mary Pester, LOL!
Question apart from a handful of his OWN engagements eg 5 in total in March, has FK ONCE done anything extra to provide cover for the King like Ed and Sophie are doing here?
Sophie looks kind of messy — dress is ill-fitting, coat is too long. But at least she can stand upright, unlike Huevo.
It’s not a snub, the bench is just very very shallow. I thought this was a pretty good show actually.
And it’s kind of an odd comparison to make, considering this was not a state visit. So why cry & moan about Macron not being invited? He was busy with the French version of this event at the same time, anyway.
What’s telling is what’s missing.
Where’s William?
I don’t know what this portends for his Kingship, but it is not a good look that he’s not there.
It’s strange.