King Charles III received a warm welcome as he toured HMS Iron Duke, ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports from Bordeaux
The King and Queen have arrived to cheering crowds in Bordeaux on the final day of their state visit to France.
While there, the royal couple will meet Britons running businesses in south-western France before touring a vineyard.
Charles and Camilla flew from Paris to Bordeaux on Friday, a change from their original plans amid French media leaks.
Camilla was handed a bouquet of flowers after she and Charles greeted hundreds of well-wishers outside Bordeaux’s town hall on Friday afternoon.
Locals waved French and Union flags, and shouted “God Save The King”.
Butcher Georges Britouille, 57, said: “This, for us, is historic, to have the King visit where we live is something to be remembered.”
Camilla wore earrings and the late Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond brooch.
They were shown photographs of the King’s visit to the city in 1977, as well as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s stop there in 1992.
Charles and Camilla met the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees and his Bordeaux counterpart Pierre Hurmic before being shown a memorandum of understanding – a document outlining an agreement – between the two cities.
They signed the town hall’s guest book before going out to the garden to plant a loquat leaf oak tree. Charles could be seen laughing as Camilla poured water on the plant, saying “very good”.
The King and Queen received a warm welcome as they toured HMS Iron Duke
Charles received a warm welcome as he toured the flight deck of HMS Iron Duke in Bordeaux.
The monarch was pictured holding an umbrella as he greeted Britain’s foreign secretary James Cleverly and his wife Susannah, who were also in attendance.
The visit is to highlight the defence ties between France and the United Kingdom.
During his visit on Friday, Charles is to also hear about the effects of climate change on forest fires, while Camilla will meet a local charity supporting disadvantaged people.
The couple’s trip will end with a tour of a sustainable vineyard.
Bordeaux, famous for its wine, is home to around 39,000 Britons and is twinned with Bristol.
The King said in his historic address to the French Parliament on Thursday the “shared link” between the two cities is just one of a “countless number of connections” between the UK and France.
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