Queen Elizabeth is enjoying some Parisian hospitality this week, as the people of France and Britain celebrate 100 years of Entente Cordiale. The monarch was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and 200 excited British schoolchildren for her trip to the French capital on Monday.
After naming one of the trains at Waterloo Station "Entente Cordiale" in honour of the anniversary, she caught the Eurostar to Gare du Nord in Paris. There she began her three-day visit by laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
She and her husband were then received by President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace. The legendary Champs Elysee boulevard was meanwhile decorated with both Union Jacks and French Tricolores to mark the event. It is the first time the Queen and her husband have stayed as the guests of President Chirac.
The Entente Cordiale was signed on April 8 1904, after the Queen's great grandfather, King Edward VII, decided the time had come for better understanding between France and Britain. The deal was seen as crucial to ensure cooperation between the two countries in the run-up to the first World War.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
