President of France Emmanuel Macron prepares to ship a speech throughout a state banquet at Guildhall on July 9, 2025 in London, England. President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs Brigitte Macron are within the U.Ok. for the primary go to state go to made by France in 17 years. They stayed at Windsor Fortress, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Leon Neal | Getty Photographs Leisure | Getty Photographs
French President Emmanuel Macron will conclude a star-studded three-day state go to to the U.Ok. on Thursday after a Franco-British summit being held in London at present.
The U.Ok. has pulled out the stops for the French chief and his spouse Brigitte, who had been greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, as they arrived in England on Tuesday, earlier than they had been whisked off to fulfill King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Windsor.
Roads had been closed within the city because the Macrons joined the Royals for a carriage procession to the fortress, the place a glamorous state banquet was held of their honor.
Eager to impress their French company, British musical and cultural royalty — together with singers Elton John and Mick Jagger, actress Kristin Scott Thomas and former England goalkeeper Mary Earps — had been among the many 160 illustrious invitees on the dinner.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (C), Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (C-L) and different company attend a State Banquet at Windsor Fortress, west of London, on July 8, 2025, on the primary day of a three-day state go to of French President to Britain.
Ludovic Marin | Afp | Getty Photographs
The French president met enterprise leaders on Wednesday, and is because of maintain talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday through which they’re anticipated to give attention to “joint priorities” together with migration, commerce, protection and safety, the U.Ok. authorities mentioned.
Looming massive is the thorny challenge of Washington and easy methods to deal with Trump and his more and more unwieldy and unpredictable tariffs regime, which might have an effect on severely influence European and world financial progress.
On Monday, Trump shared screenshots on social media of signed “letters” that had been purportedly despatched to 14 international locations, together with Japan, South Korea and South Africa, telling them that they confronted a steep hike in commerce tariffs from Aug. 1, extending an preliminary deadline of July 9.
He then, on Wednesday, introduced not less than seven extra international locations that will be hit with punitive duties, in addition to a 50% tariff on Brazil partly in retaliation in opposition to the present trial in opposition to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his position in an alleged try to overturn the nation’s 2022 election outcomes.
Trump additionally introduced a 50% levy on copper imports, which can start on Aug.1, and signaled that extra sector-specific tariffs will come quickly.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs within the Rose Backyard on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
White Home Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt mentioned that additional letters can be despatched out within the coming days however, thus far, the European Union (EU) has obtained nothing, leaving it in limbo over what tariffs it might face.
Hopes are rising {that a} U.S.-EU commerce deal could possibly be inked this week though how helpful — or disadvantageous — will probably be to Brussels stays a giant unknown as Macron, who leads the bloc’s second-largest financial system, travels to the U.Ok.
“The EU is reportedly dashing to conclude a cope with the U.S., presumably by the tip of this week already,” Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Financial institution, famous Tuesday, emphasizing that “main hindrances stay.”
“The EU appears to have grudgingly accepted that the present 10% U.S. base tariff along with some sectoral tariffs can’t be negotiated away. The EU nonetheless hopes to get some restricted exemptions from these tariffs, for instance for plane and plane elements, in order that the general rise within the common U.S. tariff on imports from the EU this 12 months can be beneath 10 share factors. The U.S. is thus far threatening to impose increased tariffs than that,” he mentioned.
Pomp and pageantry
Britain has actually rolled out the pink carpet for Macron’s state go to, which has had all of the pomp and pageantry that the nation excels at.
On Tuesday, the Macrons had been met by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, earlier than being accompanied to Windsor, the place they’ve taken half in a carriage procession with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Britain’s King Charles III and France’s President Emmanuel Macron journey within the 1902 State Landau carriage throughout a carriage precession at Windsor Fortress, in Windsor west of London, on July 8, 2025, on the primary day of a three-day state go to to Britain.
Andrew Matthews | Afp | Getty Photographs
The king delivered a speech in the beginning of the state go to through which he mentioned that the U.Ok. and France “face a mess of complicated threats, emanating from a number of instructions. As mates and as allies, we face them collectively. These challenges know no borders: no fortress can shield us in opposition to them this time.”
The Macrons are recognized to have a heat relationship with the British royals. Tellingly, the king final received plaudits from Paris when he addressed the French Senate in each English and French, which he speaks fluently, throughout a state go to in 2023.
That is the primary state go to by an EU chief on British soil because the U.Ok. acrimoniously left the bloc in 2020 following the 2016 Brexit referendum. The British authorities mentioned the go to “will present a historic alternative to showcase the breadth of the U.Ok.-France relationship.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 9: Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd L) and spouse Victoria Starmer (L) welcome French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) and his spouse Brigitte Macron (R) to Downing Road on July 9, 2025 in London, England.
Pool | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Starmer, who appears to have ingratiated himself with Trump regardless of their completely different political persuasions, may need additionally been capable of give Macron some tips about easy methods to win over their transatlantic ally, because the EU continues commerce negotiations with Washington.
Trump said matter-of-factly that the U.Ok. was the primary nation to strike a commerce cope with Washington, and was more likely to be shielded from future tariffs, “as a result of I like them.” Macron has in the meantime had a trickier experience with the U.S. chief, who has humiliated him greater than as soon as. In June, on the final G-7 assembly, Trump lambasted Macron as “publicity searching for.”
