Cheering Crowds or Not, King Charles is a Reliable Diplomat

In a city like Paris it is almost impossible to find a consensus. There are as many things happening as it is possible to see, and as many opinions as it is possible to have, woven into the sprawling streets of its 20 arrondissements. So it is quite fitting, therefore, that the narrative of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s recent royal visit there has been swallowed up and dissected in so many different ways.

“King Charles draws crowds in Paris amid pomp, ceremony,” one headline declared this week, citing the “ardent fans, tourists and curious Parisians,” who cheered his car ride down the Champs-Elysées with President Macron after a formal welcome at the Arc de Triomphe. “King greeted in Paris with shouts of Vive le Roi,” another piece said, with the story referencing a handful of people who uttered the phrase after he had shaken hands on the street. One piece in the BBC shared a different perspective, pointing out that “no truthful account of the state visit can hide the fact, in Paris anyway, the people never came,” and cited how the King and President “sensibly withdrew from their waving position in the open-top limousine and returned to their seats because actually there was no-one to wave to.”

I, too, noticed that they had retreated into the car as I watched their procession down the Champs-Elysées on a big screen from the media spot at the Arc de Triomphe where I had been positioned for the opening ceremony. From there, I saw when I arrived that the streets leading up to the monument were all closed off to the general public, who were kept well back. This was also the case across the two days in Paris for some other big set-piece moments, such as the visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. There were fleeting opportunities to greet people who happened to be in the vicinity of certain engagements, but the itinerary in this city did not seem to be designed with meeting the general public in mind.

This was perhaps not surprising given the logistical and security issues as well as the packed schedule. The security operation was amongst the most intensive and extensive I have experienced on a royal visit, with a large and very visible police presence everywhere they went. In addition, throngs of aides of all kinds surrounded the royal and presidential convoy at all times. Much like the city itself, the visit was characterized by an air of constant intensity.

This was compounded by the many, many media in attendance—reflecting the interest from the British and French sides as well as multiple other international outlets. From stories on the intricacies of the Versailles state banquet menu and Queen Camilla’s style, to pieces about Charles’s comments on climate change and the meaning of the visit for Britain’s Post-Brexit relationship with France, the tour was covered from every angle.

Yet amidst all the noise and all the movement, it is actually quite difficult to get a strong sense of in what ways this trip might move the dial for Britain and the royals. One obvious win was the moment the King received a long standing ovation for his landmark speech in the French Senate. Yet following this, royal aides were forced to answer to observations in the British media that his comments on the urgency of acting on climate change came right as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was being accused of rolling back on climate goals. A narrative about discord between royals and government was hastily staved off, but left a sense that the timing had threatened to put the King in an awkward position.

Nevertheless, with several engagements per day, multiple speeches in French and a willingness to engage in everything from table tennis to weaving on a loom, King Charles and Queen Camilla did everything that could be asked of them to foster warm diplomatic relations. The “soft power” rewards of royalty can often be intangible. But officials who told reporters of the "real benefits" that the couple’s state visit to Germany in March have brought about for Britain will be hoping that this trip delivers the same outcome.

Since coming to the throne, Charles has been at pains to emphasize continuity and stability and has favored tradition over reform. This trip had some eye-catching moments (no-one could claim that a banquet in Versailles was a pedestrian affair) but it was fundamentally a reminder of Charles's steady approach—there were no fireworks but there were certainly no thunderstorms either.

It was not surprising that the King chose to pay tribute to his late mother in Paris through visiting a flower market named after her, and through what he said in his speeches. It was interesting, however, that of all the things that have been said about Queen Elizabeth II, he chose to remind us President Macron once described her as “the golden thread that binds our nations." While it slightly begs the question as to where that leaves us all in the new reign, there can be little doubt that this visit has proven the King's status as a reliable diplomat.

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