Prince and Princess of Wales welcome Macron as he begins UK state visit

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, and this is the World Now.

Beginning in Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron has made a state visit to the United Kingdom, receiving a ceremonial welcome from the British royal family and pledging renewed bilateral relations.

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"The United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference. Clearly, we have to work together in order to defend an efficient multilateralism "

On Tuesday, Macron and First Lady Brigitte began their three-day visit with a full royal welcome at Windsor Castle, greeted by King Charles III , Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Princess Catherine in a horse-drawn carriage procession and Guard of Honor inspection.

Macron delivered a rare address to both Houses of Parliament, urging Britain and France to reduce "excessive dependencies" on the U.S. and China, and calling for joint action on defense, migration, climate, and AI.

He also announced 1.5 billion U.S. dollars of EDF investment in a UK nuclear plant and a cultural loan deal to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain for the first time in more than 900 years.

This is the first state visit by a European leader since Brexit and the first for a French President since 2008.