The President of the French Republic and Madame Nicolas Sarkozy visited the UK as guests of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, staying at Windsor Castle where they enjoyed a spectacular State Banquet.
| The French State Visit |
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President and Madame Sarkozy with The Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle
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The couple were welcomed by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at Heathrow Airport before travelling to Windsor where they received an official welcome from The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
The party then travelled in a carriage procession to the castle itself where Her Majesty presented the President with the Insignia of an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.
| The French State Visit |
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President Sarkozy inspects the Guard accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh
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After a private lunch, President Madame Sarkozy laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey before making a speech at the Palace of Westminster.
In the evening, the centrepiece of the visit took place: a spectacular State Banquet in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The hall was destroyed by fire in 1992, but was painstaking restored and reopened in 1997.
| The French State Visit |
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The Queen and President Sarkozy arrive for the State Banquet in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle
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The hall was created by Edward III in the 1360s for the use of the Knights of his newly founded Order of the Garter and still bears the names and coats of arms of knights past and present.
The banquet was attended by 150 guests including The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, The Duke of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent.
| The French State Visit |
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The Duchess of Cornwall, President Sarkozy and The Queen at the State Banquet
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Guests dined on lamb with seasonal vegetables followed by a rhubarb savarin. Music was provided by the Band of the Irish Guards.
During her speech at the banquet, Her Majesty looked back at the long-standing relationship between Britain and France:
'There have of course been many State Visits between our countries over the centuries, starting with the famous encounter between Francis the First and Henry the Eighth at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520. This respectful yet competitive relationship between our two countries has been clear to see on many occasions in the intervening years.'
In return, President Sarkozy looked ahead to the development of the alliance:
'The time has come for a new Franco-British fraternity to build our common future.'
| The French State Visit |
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The President presents the Legion d'Honneur to Dame Ellen MacArthur
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The following day, the French President laid a wreath at a Statue of General de Gaulle in central London before talks with the Prime Minister at Downing Street and visiting the Emirates Stadium.
He was then joined by Madame Sarkozy for a boat ride to Greenwich where he presented the Legion d'Honneur to Dame Ellen MacArthur at the Old Royal Naval College.
The State Visit ended with a banquet at Guildhall given by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation and attended by The Duke of Gloucester. |