King Charles III and the Queen Consort will make their first state visit to France next month, following in the footsteps of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who made six official trips to the country during her extraordinary 70-year reign.
The Queen’s first official visit to France was in fact as a young newlywed princess, in 1948, when she and the Duke of Edinburgh made a four-day trip to Paris. They enjoyed the delights of the city, including a night at the Opéra Garnier, a visit to the Flower Market in the Ile de la Cité, and a romantic evening along Rue Pierre Charon, where Edith Piaf serenaded them with a rendition of La Vie En Rose. It was followed by official visits in 1957, 1972, 1992, 1994, 2004 and 2014.
There were state dinners, tiaras and meetings with politicians and members of the public alike; a small taste of what King Charles and Camilla can expect during their time en France. Here, ahead of the historic tour, Tatler looks back at some of Her Majesty’s most magical French moments.
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Keystone-France/Getty Images
1948
The then Princess Elizabeth is the epitome of sophistication as she joins the Duke of Edinburgh and French President Vincent Auriol at the Élysée Palace
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1948
The then Princess Elizabeth wearing an evening gown and a tiara, accompanied by her husband Philip, leaves the Élysée Palace after a dinner in their honour
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Keystone-France/Getty Images
1948
Princess Elizabeth cuts an elegant figure as she leaves the Restaurant La Tour D’Argent
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1948
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, accompanied by the mayor of Paris, Pierre de Gaulle, visit the exhibition Eight centuries of British life in Paris at the Galliera Museum in Paris
