What’s Brewing at Windsor? William, Kate, and Macron in a Carriage with the King and Queen
The Prince and Princess of Wales are to join the King and Queen and their guests French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a carriage ride through Windsor next week.
Kate, who has opened up about her “rollercoaster” cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a “brave face”, will carry out royal duties as part of the French leader’s state visit on Tuesday.
Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether or not the princess will attend the banquet in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall in the evening.
The princess, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and confirmed she was free from the disease at the start of this year, last made an appearance at a grand royal dinner 20 months ago in November 2023 in honour of the South Korean president.
Mr Macron’s state visit to the UK, from July 8-10, is the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace, in a more than a decade since that of the Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014.
In a personal touch, the King and Queen will, on Wednesday, take the Macrons to see Fabuleu de Maucour, a 10-year-old grey gelding which Mr Macron gifted to known horse-lover the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee.
Fabuleu de Maucour belonged to the largely ceremonial French Republican Guard and was trained to carry the standard-bearer.
Fabuleu de Maucour, the horse gifted by @EmmanuelMacron to HM The Queen in 2022 for her Platinum Jubilee, was today present at the Brigade Major’s Review.
Riding Fabuleu was Master of the Horse, Lord De Mauley.
Watch this space to see them on 17 June for Trooping the Colour!🐴 pic.twitter.com/GzMKBDatRH
— French Embassy UK🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@FranceintheUK) June 1, 2023
They will also view an elegant Charabanc carriage from the Royal Mews, which was a present to Queen Victoria from King Louis-Philippe of France in 1844.
And the Macrons will privately pay their respects at the late Queen’s tomb in St George’s Chapel by laying flowers in tribute.
Charles, Ranger of Windsor Great Park, will also invite the president to tour the Windsor Castle Gardens, including areas of nature restoration and biodiversity and the wider Great Park.
State visits, which capitalise on the royals’ soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, have moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at the London royal residence and starts to affect the state rooms.
