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France’s Senate Gives King Charles Rapturous Reception for Speech in French

The king is on a state visit in Paris.

King Charles III has clocked up a historic first by becoming the only British monarch to address the French Senate—and he did so in perfect French Thursday. He received a lengthy standing ovation from lawmakers after the address. The engagement was part of a state visit to France originally scheduled for earlier in the year but postponed after riots broke out. Looking fresh—despite having attended a banquet in his honor at the Palace of Versailles with guests including Mick Jagger and Hugh Grant the previous evening—Charles called for environmental responsibility, less than 24 hours after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak abandoned or watered down key elements of Britain’s net zero drive. Charles also referenced the war in Ukraine, saying, “Just as we stand together against military aggression, so must we strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenge of all—that of global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature. Let us, therefore, cherish and nurture our entente cordiale.”