Macron’s State Visit to the UK: From Horse-Drawn Carriage to Windsor Banquet

President Emmanuel Macron traveled in a horse-drawn carriage alongside King Charles, engaging in conversation as they proceeded. Dressed sharply in a navy suit, Macron followed a red carpet into a formal welcome. Later Tuesday evening, he was set to attend a banquet held in his honor at Windsor Castle.

The United Kingdom is showcasing full ceremonial grandeur to welcome President Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, marking the first state visit by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy’s trip in 2008.

The two governments are staging an elaborate display of cooperation aimed at reinforcing solidarity and advancing discussions on critical issues, including Ukraine and migration.

Highlighting their cultural collaboration, President Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed that the Bayeux Tapestry—a 230-foot embroidered artwork from the 11th century depicting the Norman Conquest—will be loaned to the British Museum next year.

This loan will mark the tapestry’s first visit to Britain since its creation nearly 1,000 years ago. In exchange, France will borrow historic artifacts such as the Lewis chessmen and treasures from Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon ship burial discovered on England’s east coast in 1939.

During his address to the British Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, President Macron humorously remarked that finalizing the Bayeux Tapestry agreement had likely taken "more years than all the Brexit negotiations combined."