Current:Home > StocksKing Charles III winds up his France state visit with a trip to Bordeaux to focus on climate issues-LoTradeCoin
King Charles III winds up his France state visit with a trip to Bordeaux to focus on climate issues
View Date:2024-12-25 02:36:35
BORDEAUX, France (AP) — After pageantry and politics in Paris, King Charles III concluded his three-day state visit to France with a trip down south to Bordeaux on Friday to focus on a more personal passion: the environment.
As the skies cleared after a morning downpour, Charles and Queen Camilla helped plant a loquat leaf oak tree, known for adaptability to a changeable climate, in the garden of Bordeaux City Hall.
The U.K. monarch will meet emergency workers affected by wildfires in the Bordeaux region last year and visit an experimental forest designed to monitor the impact of climate on urban woodlands.
Locals waved French and British flags, and some shouted “God Save The King,” as the royal couple greeted well-wishers outside Bordeaux’s town hall.
Charles and Camilla are also scheduled to visit a vineyard known for its sustainable approach to wine making, in a region where wine exports are a pillar of the economy. Severe drought last year forced Bordeaux’s earliest-ever harvest, and the region has long been working to adapt to climate change.
Friday’s events mark the third and final day of a state visit aimed at shoring up the alliance between Britain and France after years of disputes related to Brexit, migration and other issues. Charles’ warm words toward France have been met with a standing ovation in the Senate and even cheers of “Long Live the King!”, an uncommon phrase in a country that beheaded its last monarchs.
In Bordeaux, the royal couple joined a reception on a royal navy frigate to celebrate military ties between the countries.
The surrounding Aquitaine region — an English possession in the Middle Ages that English and French royalty fought over for centuries — is home to a large British community today, and the king and queen met with Britons running businesses in the region.
After flying in to Bordeaux from Paris, the king and queen will briefly switch to more environmentally friendly public transport, riding a pioneering electric tram to the main city square.
In an address to the French Senate on Thursday, Charles praised France and the United Kingdom’s “indispensable relationship” and its capacity to meet the world’s challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and climate change. He called for a new ‘’entente for sustainability.’'
He also spoke about his concern for the climate in his toast at an opulent state dinner in the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday evening.
The king’s comments came after U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he was watering down some of Britain’s climate commitments, including pushing back a ban on new gas and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.
For decades, Charles has been one of Britain’s most prominent environmental voices, blasting the ills of pollution and speaking out for the need to cut emissions and restore biodiversity. But the U.K. royal family long ago ceded political power to elected leaders. And now that he is the king, he is expected to stay out of government policy in accordance with the traditions of the U.K. constitutional monarchy.
___
Angela Charlton in Paris, and Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless in London, contributed to this report.
___
Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii
veryGood! (8968)
Related
- Lee Zeldin, Trump’s EPA Pick, Brings a Moderate Face to a Radical Game Plan
- An anti-European Union billboard campaign in Hungary turns up tensions with the Orbán government
- Jennifer Lawrence Brushes Off Her Wardrobe Malfunction Like a Pro
- EU sends border police reinforcements to Finland over fears that Russia is behind a migrant influx
- Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations
- CEO, co-founder of Cruise Kyle Vogt resigns from position
- Dutch election winner Geert Wilders is an anti-Islam firebrand known as the Dutch Donald Trump
- 'Not who we are': Gregg Popovich grabs mic, tells Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard
- Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney dies in car accident
- Tens of thousands of protesters demanding a restoration of Nepal’s monarchy clash with police
Ranking
- Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
- Hawaii’s governor wants to make it easier for travelers from Japan to visit the islands
- These Are the 42 Can't-Miss Black Friday 2023 Fashion & Activewear Deals: Alo Yoga, Nordstrom & More
- Gaza has become a moonscape in war. When the battles stop, many fear it will remain uninhabitable
- Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
- Coach Outlet’s Black Friday Sale Is Here: Shop All Their Iconic Bags Up to 85% Off
- Armenia’s leader snubs meeting of Russia-dominated security grouping over a rift with the Kremlin
- Diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China will meet about resuming a trilateral leaders’ summit
Recommendation
-
Trading wands for whisks, new Harry Potter cooking show brings mess and magic
-
Consumers grow cautious about holiday spending as inflation, debt shorten shopping lists
-
The 2024 Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle rocks the boat in our first drive review
-
Hezbollah fires rockets at north Israel after an airstrike kills 5 of the group’s senior fighters
-
Taylor Swift touches down in Kansas City as Chiefs take on Denver Broncos
-
To save the climate, the oil and gas sector must slash planet-warming operations, report says
-
3 New Zealand political leaders say they’ve reached agreement to form next government
-
A former Canadian RCMP intelligence official is found guilty of breaching secrets law