King Charles tells a state banquet held for French President Emmanuel Macron that the UK and France stand "ever closer"
The King, who addressed guests in both English and French, also spoke of the need to tackle "irregular migration across the English Channel"
It's a star-studded guestlist in Windsor this evening, our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan writes, with Sir Mick Jagger and Dame Kristen Scott-Thomas in attendance
Macron also addressed Parliament earlier today, telling MPs the UK and France have a duty to tackle illegal migration "with humanity, solidarity and firmness"
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Macron laid wreaths at the statue of former French President Charles de Gaulle in central London - they will meet again on Wednesday to discuss the issue of small boats crossing the Channel
King and Macron say state visit will 'deepen alliance'
Image source, PA MediaThe French president has been busy since addressing Parliament.
He's also been meeting Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch outside Lancaster House.
The Conservatives' shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel also joined them.
Image source, ReutersEmmanuel and Brigitte Macron have been meeting veterans, following the French president's speech to Parliament a short while ago.
They have been attending a ceremony in central London at the statue of former French President Charles de Gaulle, who was the leader of the Free French during World War Two and the architect of France's Fifth Republic.
Image source, ReutersEmmanuel Macron takes a selfie with his wife Brigitte, UK PM Keir Starmer and veteran Eugenius Nead
Image source, PA MediaSmall boat crossing across the English Channel remain an issue for both France and the UK.
Recent statistics show that nearly 20,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats between January and June 2025 - a 48% increase on the first six months of 2024.
By 6 July that number had risen to 21,117, up 56% on the same period in 2024.
Since coming to power in July last year, Labour has announced a series of measures to tackle people smuggling, including a new criminal offence of endangering the lives of others at sea.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to "smash the gangs" bringing migrants to the UK.
A deal to give France almost £500m over three years for extra officers to help stop migrants was struck by the previous Conservative government in 2023.
The current Labour government wants French authorities to let their police intercept so-called taxi boats in shallow waters. These cruise along the coastline, picking up people waiting in the sea.
In addition, the UK and France are thought to be working on the terms of a "one-in, one-out" agreement.
This would mean that for every small-boat arrival that France takes back, the UK would let one asylum seeker from France join family members already here.
Image source, ReutersThe Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron shortly after they touched down at RAF Northolt, just after 11:00 BST today
Image source, PA MediaThe French president's state visit to the UK got under way with a carriage ride through Windsor. Brigitte Macron blew kisses to the crowd during the procession, while sat next to Queen Camilla
Image source, PA MediaAt lunchtime, King Charles III and Emmanuel Macron inspected a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle
Image source, PA MediaLater on, the King and Queen showed the Macrons items on display at the castle's Royal Collection exhibition
Image source, ReutersAfter travelling from Windsor to London this afternoon, the French president laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown warrior in Westminster Abbey
Image source, PA MediaMacron received a standing ovation after delivering a speech to the Houses of Parliament a short while ago
Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent, reporting from Windsor
Image source, PA MediaThe Princess of Wales will be at the state banquet at Windsor Castle this evening, says Kensington Palace.
She has missed the last couple of these big ceremonial dinners, with the South Korean state visit in November 2023 the last she attended.
Catherine and the Prince of Wales got a big cheer from the crowd during the carriage procession in Windsor, in what has been her first public appearance since talking openly last week about the challenges of trying to recover after chemotherapy.
Her involvement in the state visit will be seen as another step in her gradual return to public life.
Image source, ReutersFollowing his speech in the Royal Gallery, President Macron went to Parliament Square to a lay a wreath at the statue of Winston Churchill along with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Image source, EPA
Iain Watson
Political correspondent reporting from Westminster
Image source, PA MediaAs MPs and peers shuffled out of the Royal Gallery, their reaction to President Macron’s speech seemed to range from polite to enthusiastic.
One Labour peer even described it as "phenomenal", although he was particularly pleased with the praise for the prime minister. "Unlike the media," he added.
Imogen James
Live reporter
Image source, ReutersIt's clear the speech Macron just gave to the Houses of Parliament was highly-anticipated. The room was packed.
It brought more than one standing ovation, and a lot of passion. I'll quickly take you through the main themes:
Migration: It was always going to be a sure one to come up, with the UK and France facing pressure over small boats crossing the Channel. Macron said gangs and people cannot "flout" the rules, and the issue, which they are working on, is also a wider responsibility for the countries of departure and transit.
Global conflicts: On the Middle East, Macron said recognising a Palestinian state is the only way to build peace. For Iran, he told the room the UK, France and Germany need to work together on stringent negotiation. On Ukraine, he said they will continue to protect the "international order" and "never abandon Ukraine".
Trade: While Macron said it was regrettable that the UK voted for Brexit, he added trade has "surpassed pre-Brexit levels" and they have the foundation of a new relationship. He hinted at a youth mobility scheme, making a case for "exchanges for students, researchers, artists".
Fraternity: He mulled over years of history between the two countries, and the help they have given each other in wars. Macron thanked the King for the state visit, and ended his speech with: "long live the United Kingdom, long live France".
Iain Watson
Political correspondent reporting from Westminster
"Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder...this our common destiny," Macron told MPs and peers as he finished his statement in the Royal Gallery.
The French president received a standing ovation after his statement, which did not shy away from areas of difference or difficulty - from immigration to Gaza to youth mobility.
When he pushed for the recognition of a Palestinian state, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch didn’t join the applause.
Macron now thanks King Charles III for his hospitality and his "longstanding" and "very special relationship with my country".
He adds that he came to the UK today to "renew the French people's message of friendship and fraternity".
"Let's be sure we will meet again for years and decades because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked by our common future," he says.
"And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges of our times, would be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder," he says. "This is our common destiny."
"Long live the United Kingdom, long live France," the French president says before ending his speech to applause and a standing ovation.
As we reported earlier, Macron says France will loan the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK in the run up to the anniversary of William the Conqueror's birthday.
The announcement is met with cheers and applause in the Royal Gallery.
Macron then quips to laughter: "I have to say, it took probably more years to deliver that project than all the Brexit texts".
Let's see this exchange as the beginning of a new era, he adds.
Iain Watson
Political correspondent reporting from Westminster
Macron praises the European Political Community, which encompasses countries which are not in the EU.
"Let’s not allow the Channel to grow wider," he says, and makes a strong case for "exchanges for students, researchers, artists".
There is sustained applause when he says "our children should have the same opportunities that we had".
That sounds a lot like freedom of movement but there is even disagreement between UK political parties and within the Labour party over a youth mobility scheme.
Image source, UK ParliamentThe UK's decision to leave the EU does not mean the UK left Europe, Macron insists.
The French president discusses the need to invest in the "key technologies of the future" including AI, Space and Quantum technologies.
We have to de-risk economies and societies, he says, explaining that if the UK and France do not work together, there will be a clear view of the future.
He says dependence makes the UK and France "vulnerable" to social media algorithms designed in the US and China.
We want we want to cooperate, not depend, he adds.
The French president turns to the economy, saying trade between the UK and France has "surpassed pre-Brexit levels".
There are 3,500 French companies in the UK, making it the second-leading foreign employer in the country, he says.
At the UK-France summit later this week, France will deliver additional investment to enter a "new era" of cooperation in the energy and space fields.
The French president then highlights that he is the first European leader to make a state visit since Brexit.
We have agreed the foundation of a new relationship with the UK, he says. The audience laughs when Macron jokes he has "great memories" of working on the text of the Brexit deal.
Iain Watson
Political correspondent reporting from Westminster
On illegal immigration, Macron says the UK and France "will deliver" together, but spends some time stressing this isn’t just a cross channel issue.
Instead, he widens responsibilities to "countries of departure and transit" for migrants.
Image source, UK ParliamentMacron now moves onto the topic of migration.
"Hope for a better life elsewhere is legitimate" but they cannot allow people and criminal gangs to "flout" the rules, the French leader says.
He says the UK has a "shared responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and firmness".
There is close cooperation between the UK and France on this topic, he says, and their objective is to "fix today what is a burden for our two countries".
They will only arrive at an effective solution "by continuing to work with the countries of departure and transit of global migration routes", Macron adds.
Macron then moves onto climate and biodiversity, expressing his support for phasing out the use of fossil fuels.
We worked actively and are still working actively on biodiversity, he says.
Talking about the report commissioned by the UK and France during King Charles state visit to France, he says it is not just "excellent" but that they "endorse it and will implement it".
During the last few years, the alliance between France and the UK has became stronger, Macron says.
We face new threats from "aggressive nuclear powers" and "sometimes hesitating alliances".
This is why the France-UK summit in two days is important and the announcement we have prepared is historical, he says.
Macron then addresses the commitment from Nato members to increase their defence spending to 3.5% of their GDP.
"It's not just piling money but increasing our cooperation altogether, reducing our dependencies and building a strong European pillar in Nato," he says.
Iain Watson
Political correspondent reporting from Westminster
Cheers reached a crescendo when President Macron talked about Ukraine and pledged that "Europeans" won’t abandon it.
On the Middle East, the French leader expressed his desire of "working together" to recognise a state of Palestine.
While the UK and France both support a two state solution, there is not yet agreement on the timing for recognising a Palestinian state.
Image source, UK ParliamentMacron says he believes in a two-state solution, adding that it will allow Israel to live in "peace and security alongside its neighbours".
"I want to be clear, calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition is just telling to the rest of the world that for us, as Europeans, there is no double standard," he says.
"We want a ceasefire, no discussion," he adds.
The president says that "working together" to recognise the state of Palestine is the "only path to peace".