Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have arrived in London with a touching gift for King Charles. The French President and his wife are among world leaders to visit Britain for the Queen’s state funeral on Monday.
Mr and Mrs Macron will give Charles a book with pictures celebrating the late monarch’s visits to France, French officials said on Sunday.
The couple will present the book to Charles at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday night.
The King and Queen Consort are hosting the Grand Leaders’ Event at the London Royal Residence tonight.
Mr Macron and his wife wore black outfits with dark sunglasses as they attended the Queen’s State party at Westminster Hall ahead of the reception today.
The French President is among world leaders to pay their respects to him, and US leader Joe Biden visited the late monarch’s coffin earlier Sunday.
Mr Macron confirmed his attendance at the funeral after speaking to Charles on Wednesday.
He tweeted on Thursday: “In a telephone conversation with His Majesty King Charles III. I expressed France’s condolences last night on the death of his mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I will attend the funeral in London on Monday.
“The ties between France and the UK are unbreakable. We will continue to strengthen them, following the path set out by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
Mr Macron also paid tribute in English to the late Queen the day after her death on September 8.
He said: “To you, she was your queen. For us she was the queen.
“Elizabeth II spoke our language, loved our culture and touched our hearts.
“From her coronation, she knew and spoke to all of our presidents. No other country has had the privilege of welcoming them as often as we have.”
It comes as world leaders flock to Britain on Monday for the state funeral of the late Queen for a day of pageantry, military processions and celebration.
The service takes place in Westminster Abbey before a congregation of 2,000 guests.
The coffin will be taken from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral on Monday at 11am in a procession led by King Charles.
The service will be televised and a national silence of two minutes will follow the final post at 11:55 am.
Reveille, the national anthem and a dirge played by the Queen’s Piper conclude the service around noon.
The coffin is then taken in a procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch and then to Windsor.
Once there, the hearse will travel in procession down the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, after which a televised funeral service will take place.
A private funeral service will be held later in the evening with members of the royal family.
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI Memorial Chapel, an annex to the main chapel, where her mother and father were buried along with the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret.
Prince Philip’s coffin is brought from the Royal Vault to the Memorial Chapel to join that of his wife.
