London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Protesters’ threats toward King ‘convinced Macron to halt royal visit’

Protesters’ threats toward King ‘convinced Macron to halt royal visit’

Macabre messages scrawled by rioters part of decision by Emmanuel Macron to postpone visit

Threats including the words “Death to the King” convinced Emmanuel Macron to halt a Royal State Visit to France by Charles III, it emerged on Friday night.

The macabre message was on Friday being used by protesters rioting against President Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

There have been nightly riots, and they were set to intensify if – as planned – the King had arrived in Paris on Sunday.


“I think it would not be responsible and would lack some common sense if we invited His Majesty the King and the Queen Consort for a state visit in the midst of the demonstrations,” Mr Macron said on Friday.

“So, out of friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty the King and Queen Consort, and for the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call and tell him what the situation was.”

Senior politicians including Mr Macron had received threats evoking the guillotine used to execute Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette – the last rightful King and Queen of France.

The words “Death to the King” had even appeared in bright red graffiti on Place de la Concorde – the central Paris square where Louis and his wife were killed.


Another scrawled message read “Charles III do you know the guillotine?”

The French feared the security of King Charles could not be guaranteed “because of his interest in mingling with crowds,” according to security sources.

A crack team of officers from the SDLP Protection Service unit rigorously studied the monarch’s profile.

“They became aware of the King’s habit of impromptu handshakes, and talking to ordinary people whenever he could,” said a source who was involved in the planning of four-days of events.

“There are huge social tensions in France, and there is no doubt that such good manners could have been very dangerous indeed.”

The development was a major humiliation for Mr Macron, especially as a visit to Germany by the Royal couple next week will go ahead as planned.

Eric Ciotti, leader of the opposition Republicans party in France, said the chaotic security situation was a national embarrassment.

“The visit of Charles III is cancelled by the government due to social unrest,” said Mr Ciotti.

“What an image for our country, which is not even able to ensure the security of a head of state”.

Referring to Mr Macron as a “republican monarch”, Left-Wing firebrand MP and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon said he was “delighted to see the meeting of kings at Versailles broken up by popular censorship”.

Raquel Garrido, another member of the hard Left’s Nupes parliamentary coalition, said she hoped Mr Macron would now resign, saying: “Two kings were set to meet at Versailles – one down, one to go.”

And Manuel Bompard, of the Party of the Left, said: “This shows the fragility of Emmanuel Macron as head of state.

“Charles III has backed down, now we hope Macron will back down too.”

Others pointed to how Mr Macron had been prepared to meet a foreign king, but not trade unionists battling to reverse his pension reform.

Nupes MP Alexis Corbière said: “Since he’s no longer hosting the King of England , Charles III, perhaps Macron can host the trade unions?”

Green Party MP Sandrine Rousseau, who had called for the cancellation of the state visit, said: “It’s good that it’s been postponed, it was madness to make this visit in the middle of a social conflict of historic proportions.

“To go and eat at Versailles, to drive down te Champs-Élysées – nothing was going to go well. The protesters were not going to roll out the red carpet for the king.”

Mr Macron said he would attend Charles’s Coronation in London in May, and suggested the new date for the King’s visit to France would be in the ‘early summer’.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The King and the Queen Consort’s state visit to France has been postponed.

“Their majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×