President Emmanuel Macron is on a state visit to Britain, the first of a French leader since 2008. His hosts are drenching him in pomp, pizazz and protocol.
He rode in a horse-drawn carriage, chatting with King Charles. He walked down a red carpet, sharp in his navy suit. And, come Tuesday evening, he will dine in Windsor Castle at a banquet in his honor.
Britain is rolling out its pomp and turning up its pageantry to full throttle for President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife, Brigitte Macron, who are on the first French state visit to the United Kingdom since President Nicolas Sarkozy came over in 2008.
In a bid to show solidarity and get results on everything from Ukraine to migrant crossings, the two governments are building a spectacle.
In one move showcasing their cooperation, Mr. Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain agreed that the Bayeux Tapestry — a 230-foot-long embroidery dating from the 11th century that illustrates the Norman Conquest of England — will be lent to the British Museum next year.
The loan, first promised in 2018, will be the tapestry’s first trip to Britain since it was made about 1,000 years ago. In return, France is also getting to borrow some ancient items, including the Lewis chessmen and treasures from Sutton Hoo, the seventh century Anglo-Saxon ship uncovered on England’s east coast in 1939.
In his speech to the British Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Macron joked about the Bayeux Tapestry negotiations, saying that it had taken “probably more years to deliver that project than all the Brexit texts.”
