Philippe and Mathilde of Belgium meet Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at the Élysée

They started their state visit with a welcome ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in the presence, of course, of President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. The Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, who arrived this Monday, October 14 by train from Brussels to the Gare du Nord, first exchanged a few words with the presidential couple. The sovereign and the French head of state then conducted a review of the troops before the traditional laying of wreaths – just one, in the colors of the two countries – in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The King and Queen of the Belgians were then welcomed at the Élysée Palace by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron for a joint interview between the two couples. A state dinner will also be given in their honor in the evening at the Élysée. In the meantime, the royal couple will meet Prime Minister Michel Barnier over lunch at Matignon.

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First visit since 2003

The last state visit to France by a Belgian sovereign dates back to 2003, when Albert II and his wife Paola, Philippe’s parents, were welcomed by Jacques Chirac. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, for their part, made a state visit in 2018 to Belgium. “This trip constitutes a new opportunity to celebrate the fraternal friendship which unites France and Belgium,” underlined the French presidency. It will “deepen the bilateral defense and security relationship, the density of economic and commercial exchanges as well as academic, scientific and innovation cooperation, which contribute to European sovereignty,” she added. The two countries intend in particular to deepen their relationship, including at the European level, in “the field of energy transition and defense”, specified the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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