King Charles and Queen Camilla Highlight Personal Link With Chanel During State Visit to France

King Charles and Queen Camilla are on a jam-packed three-day state visit to France to emphasize warm British-French relations in a post-Brexit era. And in addition to attending a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles and the King’s keynote speech from the French Senate, the couple have also taken the time to highlight a particularly personal link with French fashion house Chanel.

The King and Queen visited le19M, which is a creative hub and gallery on the outskirts of the 19th arrondissement of Paris. It is the home to the Métiers d’Art Fellowship Programme, a partnership launched earlier this year between Charles’s charity The Prince’s Foundation and Chanel. The King and Queen met students from the program and viewed the work they produced. The students also did some of their course at the King’s private Gloucestershire residence, Highgrove, which is now home to its own Métiers d’art Training Atelier.

During the tour of the le19M building, which France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron joined them for, Camilla met textile designers and was invited to try her hand at weaving on one of the looms. The Queen also showed her support for the Chanel with her choice of outfit for the day by wearing shoes made by the French fashion house and carrying a Chanel handbag.

“The Métiers d’Art Fellowship Programme is delivered by Chanel & The Prince’s Foundation, in partnership with le 19M,” Buckingham Palace said. “It is a residential 24-week intensive embroidery programme designed to challenge and develop creative practice with a focus on developing and refining traditional skills. Teaching is delivered by artisans and highly skilled tutors, with mentorship and guidance by Creative Directors from Maisons d’Art such as Lesage, Atelier Montex and Lemarié.”

The first cohort of students began their lessons in January, focusing on hand embroidery and beading skills. Métiers d’art roughly translates as “art professions” and is also the name for an annual collection Chanel holds. Charles set up the Prince's Foundation when he was Prince of Wales. It is an educational charity with a focus on preserving traditional techniques and crafts.

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