King Philippe and Queen Mathilde commenced a three-day state visit to France on Monday with an official welcome at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
They travelled by car along the Champs Élysées, which was closed to traffic for the occasion, and were greeted by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at around 10:45.
The King, alongside President Macron, inspected the troops stationed around the Arc. The army was represented by the 2nd Dragoon Regiment, with the Navy and Air Force also present, while the Republican Guard’s cavalry regiment, comprising around 140 horses, formed an honour guard leading to the Arc de Triomphe.
King Philippe of Belgium and President of France Emmanuel Macron lay down a wreath at the welcoming ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, on the first day of the official state visit of the Belgian royal couple to France, in Paris, Monday 14 October 2024. Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
Under the Arc, the King and President laid a wreath and rekindled the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument honouring all soldiers who died for France throughout history. They observed a minute of silence.The military ceremony, which included renditions of both the Marseillaise and the Brabançonne, marked the beginning of the first state visit by the Belgian royal couple to France since 2003, when King Albert II and Queen Paola were invited by Jacques Chirac.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium and King Philippe of Belgium pictured at Brussels-Midi Station ahead of a train ride to Paris, for an official state visit of the Belgian royal couple to France, Monday 14 October 2024. Credit: Belga / Didier Lebrun
Later in the day, the royal couple will have a private meeting with the Macron couple at the Élysée Palace, followed by a working lunch at Matignon with the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, and his wife.
