120 years of the Entente Cordiale
Landmark ceremony at Palace for allies
THE Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh oversaw a historic Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday in celebration of 120 years of friendly Anglo-French relations.
Stepping in for the King while he continues his cancer treatment, Edward and Sophie watched French and British troops march together on the forecourt.
The occasion was the first time a non-Commonwealth country has been afforded the honour of participating in the traditional ceremony as the two nation’s troops swapped roles in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
Alliance
The landmark agreement – signed on April 8, 1904 – strengthened ties between the two nations and paved the way for the military alliance that formed after the outbreak of the First World War.
The royal couple inspected UK and French troops while the national anthems of both countries were played.
Edward, 60, and Sophie, 59, walked past 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Republicaine and then 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards, lined up opposite their French counterparts.
They were joined by General Sir Patrick Sanders, UK Chief of General Staff, the French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill, and France’s ambassador to the UK, Helene Duchene. Across the Channel, the ceremony was mirrored as 16 soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from 1st Infantry Regiment of the Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysée Palace in Paris.
It marked the first time a foreign state has guarded the presidential residence.
British ambassador to France, Menna Rawlings, and President Emmanuel Macron listened outside the palace to the national anthems.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné celebrated the two countries’ relationship and said it is “vital” they continue to work together.
Their joint statement added: “Britain and France, two founding members and Europe’s nuclear powers, have a responsibility in driving the alliance to deal with the challenges before it.
“We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail.”
IT is fair to say that Anglo-French relations are sometimes frayed. But yesterday there came a heartwarming moment as the 120th anniversary of the “entente cordiale” was commemorated.
French and British troops marched together at a Changing Of The Guard ceremony. There was a similar pageant in Paris. There’ll always be a rivalry. But in all the things that truly matter, our two nations are truly aligned and we hold similar views on liberte, egalite and fraternite.