The state visit by King Charles III of Britain to France that was scheduled for next week has been postponed because of strikes and protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension overhaul, a blow to the French president.
“This decision was taken by the French and British governments, after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions that correspond to our friendly relationship,” the French presidency said in a statement. “This state visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible.”
The visit by King Charles and the queen consort, Camilla, who were scheduled to arrive in Paris on Sunday before heading to Germany on Wednesday, could not have been more ill-timed for Mr. Macron.
He is facing widespread fury, protests and strikes over his decision to raise the legal retirement age to 64 from 62, and the optics of the visit were particularly bad.
Mr. Macron, who was supposed to have dinner with the king at the Château de Versailles, just outside the capital, where French monarchs used to reside, has long been described by his critics as a monarchical ruler himself.
His political opponents, already furious over his decision to push the retirement change through Parliament without a full vote, had pounced on the king’s visit as proof that Mr. Macron was so out of touch with ordinary people that he would rather dine with a foreign monarch than heed their concerns.
His opponents welcomed news of the postponement, and some reacted with glee.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the influential leftist leader, quipped on Twitter that “the meeting of kings at Versailles” had been “dispersed by popular censure.”
That Charles chose France as his first destination had highlighted Britain’s desire to mend the relationship with its European neighbor after years of fractured ties.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that, “Their majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.”
The visit had been scheduled to come only weeks after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain met with Mr. Macron in Paris during a tête-à-tête that sounded like a reconciliation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Constant Méheut contributed reporting from Paris, and Megan Specia from London.
