William and Kate to join King and Queen for Macron’s Windsor carriage ride

By Lucy Harvey

The Prince and Princess of Wales are to join the King and Queen and their guests French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a carriage ride through Windsor next week.

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Kate, who has opened up about her “rollercoaster” cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a “brave face”, will carry out royal duties as part of the French leader’s state visit on Tuesday.

Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether or not the princess will attend the banquet in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall in the evening.

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Mr Macron’s state visit to the UK, from July 8-10, 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.

In a personal touch, the King and Queen will, on Wednesday, take the Macrons to see Fabuleu de Maucour, a 10-year-old grey gelding which Mr Macron gifted to known horse-lover the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee.

Fabuleu de Maucour belonged to the largely ceremonial French Republican Guard and was trained to carry the standard-bearer.

They will also view an elegant Charabanc carriage from the Royal Mews, which was a present to Queen Victoria from King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844.

And the Macrons will privately pay their respects at the late Queen’s tomb in St George’s Chapel by laying flowers in tribute.

Charles, Ranger of Windsor Great Park, will also invite the president to tour the Windsor Castle Gardens, including areas of nature restoration and biodiversity and the wider Great Park.

State visits, which capitalise on the royals’ soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, have moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at the London royal residence and starts to affect the state rooms.

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.

William and Kate will meet Mr and Mrs Macron at RAF Northolt on Tuesday morning on behalf of the King and travel with them to Windsor.

Charles and Camilla will formerly greet their guests on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in Windsor town centre, with the castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park.

The King, the Queen, the Waleses and Mr and Mrs Macron will then take a carriage procession through the Berkshire town and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just like President Sarkozy did.

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.

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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 on Tuesday afternoon to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, visit the Palace of Westminster where the French leader will address parliamentarians in the Royal Gallery, and meet opposition leaders at Lancaster House.

The King and president will both deliver speeches at the banquet on Tuesday evening.