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King Charles III‘s state visit to France has been postponed as unrest continues in the country.
“The King and The Queen Consort’s State Visit to France has been postponed,” Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement Friday. “Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.”
The visit would have been his first official overseas stop as U.K. monarch.
King Charles was scheduled to arrive in France Sunday on behalf of U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, which hoped a glamorous royal tour would underscore efforts to rebuild Anglo-French ties that were frayed by Brexit.
But anger over French President Emmanuel Macron’s resolve to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 are clouding what was meant to be a show of bonhomie and friendship. Instead, Charles’ visit was being seen as an unnecessary display of hereditary privilege.
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French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin gave reassurances Thursday night that the king would be safe during his French stay. He spoke after a day of nationwide protest marches, some marred by violence, notably in the French capital of Paris.
And heaps of trash have been piling up on the streets of other French cities, too, as garbage workers continue to strike in protest of Macron’s unpopular decision.
The monarch’s full travel itinerary was meant to run from March 26 to March 31. While scaled back, the trip is not completely canceled. King Charles was also scheduled to visit Germany and that leg of the trip will take place as planned. According to the itinerary, he is meant to arrive on Wednesday.
The trip would have marked the King’s 35th official visit to France and is set to mark his 29th official visit to Germany, according to Buckingham Palace.
Contributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY, The Associated Press
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