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"The King and Queen consort's state visit to France has been postponed," Buckingham Palace said.
British King Charles III's state visit to France, scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed as unrest continues against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform.
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"The King and Queen consort's state visit to France has been postponed. Their Majesties look forward with great interest to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found," a statement from Buckingham Palace said.
President Macron called for the cancellation of the three-day visit amid the current situation in France, with strikes and protests across the country.
"As we have considerable friendship, respect and esteem for Her Majesty and the Queen Consort and the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call [the King] and explain the situation," the French president said, suggesting a postponement to early summer.
The Élysées. March 24. Taking into account demonstrations planned for March 28, Charles III’s visit to France will be postponed. The French & British governments agreed to this after a telephone call between the President of the Republic and King Charles III. pic.twitter.com/9d9pBMCCKC
— Tom (@ThosChamberlain) March 25, 2023
Government plans to gradually push back the retirement age by two years, to 64, have plunged the country into a violent scenario that has been exacerbated by last week's passage, without a vote, of the pension law in Parliament.
Thursday's riots resulted in 457 arrests by the forces of law and order. The French capital, Paris, and the cities of Rennes, Nantes, Lorient, and Bordeaux were the main scene of the riots.
A new national strike day has been announced for Tuesday next week, the tenth so far.
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