King Charles hosted a grand state banquet at Windsor Castle on Tuesday night (July 8), welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a historic visit — the first official European state visit since Brexit.
Among the distinguished guests were Queen Camilla, Prince William, and the Princess of Wales. The evening featured a speech by the monarch, in which he highlighted centuries of diplomatic and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and France.
During the remarks, King Charles made a pointed reference to Windsor Castle’s Norman origins, linking its founder William the Conqueror to his own son and heir.
“This castle was begun by my ancestor William, Duke of Normandy, in 1070,” the King said. “So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, The Prince of Wales, who shares that earlier William’s name, has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors.”
Notably absent from the speech, however, was any mention of his younger son, Prince Harry.
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