King Charles III’s state visit to France postponed as pension protests turn violent
King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed
Britain's King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed due to a sea of protests in the country against the massively unpopular pension reform legislationto increase the retirement age. The king was scheduled to arrive in France on Sunday, which incidentally would have been his first visit as the newly crowned monarch.
However, the Élysée Palace released a statement on Friday and said the decision to postpone the visit was taken after King Charles had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Given yesterday's announcement of a new national day of action against pension reform on Tuesday, March 28, in France, the visit of King Charles III, initially scheduled for March 26 to 29 in our country, will be postponed," read the statement.
"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 under conditions which correspond to our relationship of friendship," it added.
ALSO READ |Rubbish piles up in Paris, protests over pension reforms continue across France
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Buckingham Palace also released a statement stating that the king looked forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates could be found.
More than a million people took to the streets in different cities of France on Thursday in a continued protest against the Macron government's retirement policy.
Up until Thursday, the French authorities were optimistic that the state visit will go ahead without any hiccups. However, after Macron gave a TV interview, it seemingly galvanised the protesters. Subsequently, the entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight, forcing the administration to chalk up new plans.
As per Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 149 police officers and dozens of protesters were injured in clashes on Thursday. In addition, 172 people were arrested across the country, 72 of them in Paris.
The government is of the view that extending the pension age will prevent the French service system from collapsing under the weight of deficits.
Notably, the workers in France tend to retire much earlier than their European Union (EU) counterparts. The direct repercussion is that the French exchequer has to foot a bigger pension bill than most countries in the bloc.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: