The Belgian King Philippe and his wife Queen Mathilde are in Paris. At the invitation of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, neighboring sovereigns are visiting the capital this Monday morning, the inaugural stage of a 3-day state visit to France. A first in more than two decades. Slight traffic disruptions are therefore expected at the start of the week.
The royal couple begins their Parisian stroll at the Arc de Triomphe, where they are received by the French head of state. “Security and parking measures have been put in place,” indicates the Paris police headquarters. In detail, “parking of any motor vehicle is prohibited from October 13 at 10 p.m. to October 14 at noon” in several Parisian streets: rue de Tilsitt, rue de Presbourg, place de l’Étoile, avenue des Champs-Élysées …
Specific circulation device
Another consequence, the George V metro station (line 1) “and all the exits from the Charles de Gaulle-Étoile station with the exception of exits 5 and 9 [sont] closed from 8 a.m. And lines 1, 2 and 6 no longer serve the stop. The police headquarters also adds that a specific traffic system has been put in place by its services “which will endeavor to reduce the impacts generated by the official procession during the trips planned for Monday and Tuesday”.
This is the first time since Philippe’s accession to the throne in 2013 that the royal couple has traveled to France. Philippe and Mathilde will then travel to Chantilly (Oise) then to Lille (North). “In addition to the usual diplomatic contacts with the French authorities, the program will include various cultural, academic and economic activities,” it was explained in a press release from the royal palace in Brussels (Belgium).
